Dog Fence

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:19): My question is for the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister inform the chamber about the ongoing work to rebuild the dog fence in regional South Australia?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:19): I thank the honourable member for his question. Wild dogs, including dingoes, cost Australian agriculture roughly $90 million per year. In 2018-19, wild dogs injured or killed at least 20,000 sheep in South Australia, costing the livestock industry $4 million. Because of their impact, all wild dogs are declared for destruction inside the South Australian dog fence. The 2,150-kilometre long South Australian dog fence is the single biggest asset protecting the South Australian sheep industry from wild dogs. The sheep industry alone employs 15,000 people and has a value chain of $1.5 billion.

On 26 May 2020, the SA dog fence rebuild commenced, with the completion date for this project expected to be June 2026. In December last year, the state government committed an additional $1.4 million, with Livestock SA and the SA Dog Fence Board also contributing an additional $100,000, to ensure the project to rebuild 1,600 kilometres of fence could continue to proceed. This brings the total value of the project to $29 million, of which $13 million, or 45 per cent, has come from the state government. This is a significant investment that will continue to have benefits to regional South Australia for many years to come.

I understand that to date 1,055 kilometres of fence have been rebuilt. Roughly 55 kilometres of rebuild is currently underway, with contractors on site at two locations, namely, Lake Frome and Mulgathing. The rebuild of the 1,600 kilometres will be completed in 14 stages. Ten stages have been completed, one stage is almost complete, one stage is 40 per cent complete and the final two stages will commence shortly. Contracts have been awarded for all stages, meaning procurement is now complete. I am advised the stage at Lake Frome will be completed this month, and the work at Mulgathing is expected to be complete by the middle of this year.

I have previously had the opportunity to visit the dog fence north of Roxby Downs with the Dog Fence Board. This was a wonderful opportunity to better understand the challenges of the work that is being undertaken all across the dog fence. Some of the challenges include the distance to Adelaide and the difficulty in transporting the required supplies to each stage of the project, the constant challenge to secure labour to undertake the work and, of course, the unpredictability of the weather.

I understand the stage that requires electric fencing at Mobella, Commonwealth Hill, Mabel Creek and Mount Clarence is scheduled to commence within the next month and will be completed by the end of the year. This represents a total of 369 kilometres. The final stage of works will be done in Mulgaria and Witchelina, with a total of 122 kilometres being replaced. I understand the final delivery of material is ready and awaiting availability of staff at the pastoral station to assist with unloading.

A total of 45 South Australian based businesses have been engaged in the rebuild project, and this includes more than $17 million for materials and fencing services. I would like to place on the record my sincere thanks and appreciation to the Dog Fence Board, and in particular to the chair, Geoff Power, along with all members of the board, for their continued dedication towards this very significant piece of infrastructure. I look forward to once again being able to update the chamber further on the completion of the dog fence over the next 12 months.