Victorian Agriculture Minister Ros Spence and Victorian Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos announced on Thursday, August 29 that the review would involve online and face-to-face consultation as part of the review in order to ‘appropriately balance’ livestock protection and dingo conservation.
Five in-person sessions and one online session will begin in early September for farmers across regional Victoria.
The sessions will be built on previous surveys and will seek feedback on the economic and social impacts of the dingo unprotection order.
Both ministers will jointly consider the feedback with the latest scientific research to determine future policy settings for when the unprotection order expires on Tuesday, October 1.
Seymour grazier David Lawrence welcomed the announcement.
“A face to face consultations with farmers would be great,” Mr Lawrence said.
“This is the first opportunity we have had to put the issue to the government.”
Mr Lawrence has lost an estimated $20,000 in total production over three months this year due to dog attacks, with one dog taking three months to be caught by a professional trapper.
The dingo unprotection order permits control activities on specified private land and within a 3km buffer zone on public land in the east of Victoria.
Dingoes are listed as a threatened species under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975.
Ms Spence said the government was prioritising listening to regional communities before it would make its decision.
“We want to hear from farmers impacted by predation as part of this consultation process and use their feedback to help shape the settings that will protect livestock,” Ms Spence said.
“It’s important we get this right.”
Mr Dimopoulos said local expertise was needed to form part of the review.
“We want local knowledge as we work towards a future that appropriately balances the conservation of dingoes with the protection of livestock,” he said.
“The dingo population in north-west Victoria is under threat of extinction, that’s why we’re making these changes to protect an important part of the ecosystem.”
Sheep farmer Jack Eastman said wild dogs had taken about 70 of his sheep this season from his property north-east of Seymour.
“It’s a constant battle,” Mr Eastman said.
“The dogs just keep coming closer and closer.
“It’s time for farmers to stand up.”
For more information about the consultation, visit: https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/dingoreview
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