Wild Dog Management

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (15:25): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister update the chamber about the recently announced funding boost to wild dog management in South Australia?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:25): I thank the honourable member for his question. I am delighted to update members about this landmark deal for wild dog management in South Australia.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a meeting of the South Australian Wild Dog Advisory Group to announce that the Malinauskas Labor government had signed an agreement with Meat and Livestock Australia, which will see an additional $2.9 million invested in wild dog management in the state. Investment in this program is on top of existing investments which deliver the Trapper Program and the BiteBack Program, which is run by the Arid Lands Landscape Board.

Wild dogs across the state have significant impacts in the agricultural sector. Just five years ago, wild dogs were impacting livestock producers where every year 20,000 sheep were killed, resulting in lost profits of upwards of $4 million. Aside from the financial losses that our regional communities were experiencing, confidence in the sector decreased.

As a result of the agreement that has been secured, producers will benefit from the trialling of novel technologies and strategies, demonstration of best practice wild dog management and additional significant training and capacity building across a range of topics, including predator control and livestock production.

I am advised that this is the first project that Meat and Livestock Australia has funded that focuses on large-scale producer-led activities, including wild dog management. This will complement existing activities that are already being actively used across regional South Australia. As members would be aware, the state government is committed to delivering a 10-year program to eradicate wild dogs inside the dog fence and I acknowledge that this has enjoyed bipartisan support.

This additional funding is further evidence of the state government's commitment and is on top of the current $25 million investment in wild dog management, which includes rebuilding 1,600 kilometres of the dog fence, with more than 750 kilometres rebuilt since 2019; expanded ground and aerial baiting programs; and the trapper program that has removed over 730 wild dogs from sheep country since 2018. Because of this work, South Australia is leading the nation in wild dog control and this government will continue to ensure we lead the way in wild dog management to ensure we achieve the aim of eradicating all wild dogs inside the dog fence within the 10-year program.

I would like to use this opportunity to specifically thank the chair of the SA Wild Dog Advisory Group, Graham Gunn; Chair of the Dog Fence Board, Geoff Power; David Beatty from Meat and Livestock Australia; Gillian Fennell, board member of Livestock SA; Ian Rowett from the Sheep Industry Fund Board; Ian Evans from Australian Wool Innovation; and Greg Misfurd, National Wild Dog Management Coordinator, for updating me on wild dog management at their recent advisory committee meeting.

I look forward to having the opportunity in the near future to join some of them in inspecting some of the important work being done to eradicate wild dogs inside the dog fence in our state and to see firsthand the benefits of this recently announced funding.