Producers seek input into wild dog plan

Their comments follow a workshop - held by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) last week - with invitations extended to Recognised Biosecurity Groups (RBGs) and industry groups including WAFarmers and the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA (PGA).

The current WA Wild Dog Action Plan (WDAP) is funded until June 2025, with DPIRD starting the process for a new five-year plan.

A DPIRD spokesperson confirmed the plan would be informed through broad consultation with interest groups, which would continue in coming months.

In 2016 an industry-led, five-year WDAP was released identifying key issues for managing wild dogs across WA.

It was developed under the recognition of an industry working group, and in consultation with industry - including PGA and WAFarmers - affected landholders, regional communities and others interested in wild dog control.

However, Central Wheatbelt Biosecurity Association (CWBA) chairman, PGA livestock committee chairman and Eneabba/Perenjori producer Chris Patmore said, unlike the first five-year plan, the WDAP 2021-25 was not industry-led or publicly released.

"The only information we received from the second WDAP was the funding announcements," Mr Patmore said.

"We aren't even sure if there is such a written document.

"We have requested some input into the development of the 2025-29 plan.

"We are the ones largely affected by wild dog predation - our input is critical in how action should be undertaken."

Mr Patmore represents both the PGA and WAFarmers on the National WDAP committee, which promotes a co-ordinated approach to managing the fallout of wild dogs on primary production, environment and social assets across the country.

He said it was important the WA WDAP was aligned with the nationally-agreed framework.

"The main things we would push for, on behalf of CWBA, are continued access to all land within our area and to baiting with 1080 and trapping.

"We believe Recognised Biosecurity Groups are best equipped to complete wild dog control work into the future, regardless of any changes that may occur with the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act (BAM Act).

"If recommendations put forward by the BAM Act Review Panel are taken up by WA Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis that will have ramifications on us.

"The main recommendation we are concerned about is a Statewide levy on all landholders, which means funding will go into a big pool and we will have to apply for a portion of it.

"Whereas now we are entitled to the funding raised in our area."

Mr Patmore said social licence was the biggest challenge with baiting and land access.

He said there was opposition to 1080 by community sectors that weren't well educated or informed on the bait.

"We want to make sure that access to 1080 continues because without it we may as well give up," Mr Patmore said.

"In regards to land, we have good access now apart from some smaller areas that are controlled by government and under joint management with indigenous groups."

Wild dog predation is known for taking a heavy economic and emotional toll on livestock producers in affected pastoral and agricultural areas.

Over the years significant investment has been made in research and development including the State Barrier Fence and tools or technologies to improve detection, reporting, control and management.

Mr Patmore said control measurements had helped to push numbers down dramatically since 2017.

"In 2015-16, over 500 livestock deaths (by wild dogs) were reported in the CWBA area," he said.

"Through the good work of our biosecurity group we were able to bring the number of attacks in this area down to about 30 in 2020-21.

"We have been able to keep stock attacks down to minimal levels since, but recently noticed signs of increased activity adjacent to areas we have restricted access to.

"We can't afford to slack off, not only does it undo all of our hard work over recent years, it also puts the rest of the South West Land Division in jeopardy.

"The best plan is to get those dogs under control in the north east Wheatbelt to prevent them from spreading into other regions."

Following on from the meeting, Mr Patmore said there was a strong push to complete the long-awaited 660 kilometre Esperance extension of the historic State Barrier Fence.

He said those attending also wanted to see better use data and new technologies including eVorta, which is a single web-based platform to automatically identify, curate and provide live alerting on camera trap data, and FeralScan, an interlinked community website and mobile app that allows landholders to map sightings of pest animals and record the problems they are causing.

The DPIRD spokesperson said the current WDAP had delivered significant upgrades to the existing State Barrier Fence including 10 floodway replacements, six new grids and more than 300km of old netting replaced, with new vermin proof Ringlock, all of which help ensure the fence is of a wild dog standard.

The spokesperson said it also provided research grants to community groups to look at ways to improve wild dog control, and the employment of additional doggers to operate on State-managed lands to reduce the impact of wild dogs on small stock businesses.

"Significant progress has been made in the past six months on the State Barrier Fence Esperance Extension," the spokesperson said.

"The 660km extension will provide protection to south east agricultural businesses from the impact of wild dogs, emus, and kangaroos - giving farmers confidence to invest in livestock and expansion plans.

"Works are underway for 300 kilometres of vermin proof Ringlock fencing to be erected from where the existing fence finishes, north of Ravensthorpe, through to east of Esperance, of which 176km has been completed."

The spokesperson said a work order had been issued for clearing remaining sections, with on groundworks progressing well with 62.5km cleared last month.

They said while it was difficult to determine a completion date, DPIRD was working with traditional owners, contractors and landholders to finalise construction of the fence.