Qld: Farmers welcome decision to put the bite on wild dogs

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2009
Qld: Farmers welcome decision to put the bite on wild dogs

BRISBANE, April 27 AAP - Queensland farmers have welcomed the state government's decision
to crack down on wild dogs.

Brent Finlay, AgForce sheep and wool president, says he's happy with the government's
decision to appoint a wild dog advisory committee to develop a new strategy.

The government says wild dogs are costing Queensland's economy $33 million a year.

Mr Finlay says the real figure is 10 times that.

"I was at a wild dog meeting at Quilpie, in western Queensland, last Wednesday and
one gentleman there told me that in the last four months he's lost over 800 sheep to wild
dogs, which are starting to flood into the area," he said.

"Where I live in southeast Queensland, people in the area around Warwick, Stanthorpe
and Inglewood, which produces the state's fine and super-fine wool, have lost up to 600
sheep a year to wild dogs."

Premier Anna Bligh - who chaired a cabinet meeting at Highfields, north of Toowoomba
on Monday - said the damage done by wild dogs was an increasingly serious issue for Queensland
graziers, especially for sheep producers.

She said former Agforce chief Peter Kenny had delivered a report on the issue recommending
that the effort, which has been scattered across local government areas, be amalgamated.

Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin said wild dogs destroyed native species, spread
disease, attacked farmed animals and diluted dingo genetics.

Ms Bligh said the state would appoint a wild dog advisory committee.

"We will put in place a wild dog management group which will oversee the implementation,"

she said.

"We will put dedicated DPI (Department of Primary Industries) officers and a coordinator
in place and, importantly, we'll be out working with better science and better coordination
across council areas and across the properties that are affected, to get a much better
result for all producers."

Mr Finlay said the make-up of the management group was critical.

"It's critical we get the right people who have an understanding of wild dogs and the
best methods to control them.

"These dogs can be very aggressive and they have very little fear of human beings."

Research has shown wild dogs can travel as far as 1,300km in four months.

Ms Bligh said the wild dog strategy would require strong commitment from local government,
industry, landholders and the community.

AAP bart/ht/cdh

KEYWORD: DOGS WRAP

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.