AFTER two long years, consensus has finally been reached on a way forward for a strategy to use fencing in the state's central west to manage wild dogs and grazing pressure as a whole.
A six-hour meeting on Tuesday involving 24 people representing the different interest groups - the Department of Agriculture, AgForce, the Invasive Animals CRC, the authors of the Remote Area Planning and Development (RAPAD) board cluster fence model, and mayors of five councils - agreed on a plan that incorporated both cluster and strategic linear fencing.
It relies on landholder groups erecting cluster fences, with local governments putting up strategic linear fences linking clusters across state-owned land it manages.
The plan will ask for a state government contribution of $5 million, and $10m from the federal government for materials, and will make benefiting landholders responsible for the erection of fences.
It follows a feasibility study and community consultation costing $50,000; of splinter groups and counter-proposals; an unseemly email spat between mayors and councillors circulated to politicians, industry figures and journalists; and commentary from many quarters urging a cohesive approach.
When state Agriculture Minister Bill Byrne stated his position at a drought forum in Longreach last Friday - that his government was not proposing to spend its $5m commitment to wild dog control on funding a single multi-shire wild dog barrier fence - it was clear to many that a compromise position had to be adopted.
RAPAD board member and Barcaldine Mayor Rob Chandler said it had been an emotive issue.
"Dogs have been eating people's livelihoods for years, and there were four groups going in four different directions, but when we nailed it down, there wasn't a big difference between any plan," he said.
"It was just a matter of who was going to build and maintain fences."
Mr Byrne said on Friday the state did not have the capacity to build a fence, nor, on inspection of current wild dog statistics, the desire to erect another barrier fence.
"If you look at the dog populations surrounding the current fence, there are incredibly dense populations adjacent, to the north and south," he said.
"Big barrier fences are clearly not effective.
"I suspect they don't work, and we need to be more sophisticated."
Cr Chandler said it was clear that everyone had to work with the government of the day.
To move the agreement to the next level, RAPAD has employed two consultants - but Cr Chandler didn't specify who they were, other than saying they knew the industry "back to front" - to have a plan on the table for government perusal by next Friday.
"RAPAD will be the auspicing body - we are transparent and have shown our ability to acquit grants," he said.
"The beauty of it is, if you don't want to be inside a fence, you don't have to be.
"The plan has no boundaries - it can spill over to Winton, to Flinders, anywhere in Queensland."
Cr Chandler expects the plan will erect 3000km of fencing.
He said the construction could take two to three years once there was agreement from government.
"We implore governments to roll this out as soon as possible while it's dry so people can look to the future."
Sally Cripps
Journalist
Journalist
