THE launch of the National Wild Dog Action Plan was welcomed by NSW Farmers, marking the first national co-ordination of wild dog management.
The design and implementation of the plan, initially driven by WoolProducers Australia, was undertaken through a collaboration of representatives from the wool, sheepmeat, cattle and goat industries.
Wild dogs are estimated to cost producers $48.5 million a year and it is these industries that bear the brunt of that impact.
While a lot of work is being done by community groups, biosecurity groups and regional environment groups to address this significant pest issue, WoolProducers identified a gap in the management of wild dogs – the lack of a national co-ordinated approach.
It initiated the plan aiming to have all stakeholders, including all States, territories and the Commonwealth, work together to manage the issue.
The plan has been endorsed by all State agriculture or environment ministers as well as the federal government, which has contributed $280,000 toward implementation.
Importantly, the plan takes a nil-tenure approach.
Existing wild dog management programs are often fragmented by jurisdictional and tenure boundaries.
Consequently, management activities have struggled to establish a unified strategic and risk-based approach upon which local, regional and State-based landscape-scale management can be undertaken.
Wild dogs don’t abide by any boundaries or borders.
Nil-tenure takes this into account and uses an overall landscape approach.
This plan will provide a platform for many things including national direction, increased consistency of approach, developing and implementing best practice wild dog management techniques and planning approaches.
It will also allow knowledge about wild dog populations to be shared and resources to be used more efficiently.
The co-ordination this plan will provide will be vital for bringing this rampant problem under control for producers across the State.
Our association is pleased to see so many industries and governments working together in a proactive and co-operative manner on this important issue.
NSW Farmers looks forward to seeing the plan rolled out and working alongside WoolProducers and the Wild Dog Action Plan Implementation Steering Committee as it is put in place in the next year.
