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Gippsland rural communities urged to report sightings and stock kills by wild dogs so accurate data kept to maintain control on public land

Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, warned of the threat to wild dog controls on public land, urging rural communities to report sightings and stock kills promptly to maintain control measures.

By news@gippsland - 28th March 2024 - Back to News

Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, has said wild dog controls on public land are under threat, and urged everyone in rural communities to report not only wild dog stock kills, but also when they see or hear the animals. "At a well-attended meeting in Heyfield last week, which I attended, there was no guarantee from government staffers that control measures would continue on public land in the east of the state post October, when a decision is to be made."

Tim Bull, Gippsland East Nationals MP, warns of jeopardised wild dog controls, urging rural communities to report sightings and kills to ensure accurate data for effective action

Wild dog concerns

Mr Bull said, "This comes on the back of a recent decision to remove control measures on public land in the state's northwest, but we are in a very different scenario to the northwest. As the meeting heard, there's a reticence to report stock kills and interactions due to the belief little will be done."

"This has led to some bureaucrats and MPs simply looking at the data from their offices in the city and drawing the conclusion it is not a major issue, but nothing could be further from the truth."

"This meeting alone heard of one farmer having recently lost 22 sheep in a short period, a mother saying she cannot let her children out to play due to the wild dogs regularly walking across her property, one farmer reporting having six dogs recently killed and estimating there are another eight to go All this was in Heyfield alone, but we also have reports of major problems across the wider East Gippsland region," he said.

Wild dog reporting

Mr Bull said with the future of this badly needed program to be considered in the coming months, it is important that both farmers and community members report not only kills, but sightings and howling. "Locals know how big this problem is, but the metro-based department people will only go off the data, so we need to make sure they get the real picture," said Mr Bull.

The best way to do this is as follows:

• Email: highrisk.invasiveanimals@agriculture.vic.gov.au

When making a report, remember to include your:

• Name and contact phone number
• Number of animals you have found or spotted
• Date, time and location of the sighting, and any images.
• Or, alternatively, call the Agriculture Victoria Customer Service Centre 136 186

Mr Bull said he would be pleased to be included in any email reports to tim.bull@parliament.vic.gov.au. "Traditionally the best doggers are getting around 50 a year and more than 500 annually as a combined total. When you consider this a miniscule part of the overall population and they're having litters of 6-7 pups with a higher survival rate due to the increased amount of deer carcasses, it is clear we have a growing problem.

"It must also be remembered that doggers can only work in 4% of the State Forest and National Park, but given they only trap on the roads and tracks within the 3 km buffer zone adjacent to private land, it would be more like 1% of the bush they operate in," he said.

Public land wild dogs

Mr Bull added, "My great concern is we have a city centric government that is broke and needs to save money, but they cannot cut out wild dog controls on public land as that would spell disaster for farmers. I raised this in Parliament in the last sitting week and while I await a response from the Minister, I pointed out how critical it is to maintain controls on public land."

"When these killers get on to private land it is too late, and often the only opportunity doggers get to deal with these dogs is on tracks along the public land interface as it is impossible to trap on the open paddocks of private property."

"Good boundary fencing helps, but is not the solution as falling branches, wombats, sambar deer and other elements bring down these fences regularly, hence the ability to control dogs on public land needs to be retained," Mr Bull said.

Pictures from Tim Bull MP website.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com