FARMERS have questioned why environment minister Steven Miles is not taking the appropriate actions needed to ensure wild dogs are consistently controlled across state-owned and managed national parks.
AgForce wild dog committee chair Peter Lucas said the Queensland Wild Dog Strategy states that 'as wild dogs are declared Class 2 pest animals, land managers in Queensland - including private individuals, companies, local and state government agencies - had a legal responsibility to control wild dogs on their land.'
However, Mr Lucas said control across QPWS national parks is inconsistent and that was a source of major frustration for farmers living near national parks.
Farmers argue that wild dogs are breeding in national parks and other government managed lands where appropriate wild dog control program have not been been implemented. Many of those wild dogs are then killing livestock on properties adjoining government managed land.
Wild dogs cause significant impacts on the cattle, sheep and goat industries in Queensland through predation, disease transmission and lost production, but also threaten a great number of native animal species," Mr Lucas said.
"While the Queensland government has provided welcome funding to expand wild dog fencing in Western Queensland, more needs to be done to ensure best practice wild dog control is carried out in national parks.”
Mr Lucas said the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service must ensure its policies and procedures align with the Queensland Wild Dog Strategy vision that 'the impact of wild dogs on Queensland's biodiversity, agricultural assets and social values is minimised'.
Dr Miles recently made significant media mileage off his decision to stop wild dogs from being introduced to Pelorus Island and remove existing wild dogs in an effort to protect the threatened beach stone-curlew.
“We would strongly encourage the environment minister to ensure the same approach taken on Pelorus Island is also taken on QPWS owned and managed lands," Mr Lucas said.
Dr Miles made an interim conservation order under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 requiring Hinchinbrook Shire Council to immediately cease the use of wild dogs to eradicate feral goats on Pelorus Island.
“I was shocked to learn of this cruel experiment but even more alarming is the lack of thought for the native animals on the island,” Dr Miles said.
“Pest control should always be carried out in the most humane way possible – not by death row dingoes.”
“While the control of feral goats and other pests is a responsibility of all landholders, the methods employed should not pose a risk to threatened native wildlife species.”
