NSW will finally fence out wild dogs when it closes a 32 kilometre gap that has been sitting there for three years along the South Australian border.
The NSW government has announced there will be "boots on the ground" before the end of the year to close the gap.
The former Coalition government committed to extending the NSW Border Wild Dog Fence by up to 790km following a feasibility study (first published January 2019) that was commissioned by the Border Fence Maintenance Board and funded by Local Land Services (LLS).
In December 2020, then Deputy Premier John Barilaro launched a tender valued at $17 million to undertake the construction of the extension.
But since then the gap had remained.
Now the NSW Labor government has allocated budget for the delivery of this fence and with additional resources being made available to expedite the administrative process, ensuring that construction will commence this year.
The dog fence is an important tool in the fight against wild dogs, other pest animals and biosecurity threats facing producers and local communities in Western NSW.
Western NSW Minister Tara Moriarty said the government was committed to supporting the agricultural sector in Western NSW and championing biosecurity.
"We know the threat wild dogs pose to agricultural and native livestock, which is why we have taken urgent action to ensure this vital project is delivered," Ms Moriarty said.
This action is the latest in the NSW Government's commitment to biosecurity, which has included the establishment of the state's first Biosecurity Commissioner and $13 million in funding to combat feral pigs.
