Dog Fence

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:31): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Can the minister update the council about the ongoing investment the Malinauskas Labor government has provided to the rebuild of the dog fence over the last four years?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:31): I thank the honourable member for his question. The South Australian government has played a significant role in supporting the rebuild and maintenance of the iconic dog fence—major biosecurity infrastructure protecting the state's sheep industry from incursions by wild dogs over this term of government.

We know that wild dogs cost Australian agriculture $110 million every year. Indeed, before the rebuild works commenced, wild dogs were responsible for injuring or killing 20,000 sheep in South Australia per year, costing the livestock industry $4 million per year, reducing the lands available for sheep production and causing mental health issues for many landholders. The South Australian government has been working closely with the Dog Fence Board and industry to ensure the rebuild of 1,600 kilometres of fence is complete.

During this term of government, I have travelled out with the Dog Fence Board members and inspected newly completed sections of the fence and met regularly with the board to ensure the project remains on track. Completing this project is no simple task, and a team of incredible individuals have been working diligently to roll out this upgrade. Everyone involved in this project is working in some of the most remote areas of the state for weeks at a time. I would also like to pay tribute to Geoff Power, the chair of the Dog Fence Board, for his strong work in this field.

The dog fence is a critical piece of infrastructure for the livestock industry in South Australia, and our government has been committed to ensuring its completion. Coupled with this secure dog fence itself, our Wild Dog Management Strategy outlines the activities required to eradicate wild dogs from inside the fence by 2033. Our aerial baiting programs have also delivered 100,000 wild dog baits each year for the past three years. Landholders, as required by a control notice and supported by landscape boards, also place about 100,000 baits per year, with more than half of these being in the SA arid lands region. I am advised that, as of the beginning of November 2025, almost 1,100 kilometres of the fence has been covered.

In addition, fencing contractors are currently rebuilding 386 kilometres of fence, with a remaining 122 kilometres to be completed by 30 June 2026. The already completed parts of the dog fence have resulted in significant economic and social benefits to the South Australian livestock industry. More than 35,000 sheep have been returned to over 18,000 square kilometres of sheep country. Lambing percentages have increased, with reports of up to 40 per cent improvement from some properties. It is pleasing to hear that landholders once again have the confidence to retain lambs for the next season and restock paddocks that could not previously hold sheep because of attacks by wild dogs.

Further strengthening the value of the dog fence to the South Australian sheep industry, $12.2 million will be invested in the construction, maintenance and 30-year replacement of a 290-kilometre dog fence along the South Australian-New South Wales border, from where the SA dog fence meets the border to just north of the Murray River.

I am told that construction of this fence will commence in 2026. It is good to hear that landowners on both sides of the border welcome this investment. The rebuild of the dog fence provides great benefits to the state estimated to be between $56.8 million and $112.9 million over 20 years, if the wild dogs remaining inside the fence are eradicated.

Economic modelling indicates annual increases of more than $8 million in gross state product. The project to rebuild the dog fence has engaged more than 45 small to medium South Australian-based enterprises, with more than $20 million going back to material suppliers, fencing contractors, freight companies, and many other businesses that have contributed to the rebuild of the fence that protects a $4.3 billion livestock industry.