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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-06-05 Daily Xml
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Wild Dogs

Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (15:03): Thank you, sir. My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister update the house on the state government's election commitment to deliver trappers to combat wild dogs in South Australia?

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (15:03): I thank the member for Flinders for that very important question, and I do acknowledge his advocacy not only for the pastoralists in his electorate but also for the seafood industry and the cereal farmers over there.

Yes, wild dogs are a scourge on the pastoralists particularly in the Far North, but they are heading south, and for too long the state has been under siege. It is a $4.9 billion livestock industry here in South Australia, yet we had a previous government that ignored the plight and the calls for help with wild dog attacks on particularly sheep and young calves and cattle. The state government has recognised the need to act quickly and implement its $1.2 million policy to implement two full-time equivalent wild dog trappers.

On top of that, we have also bolstered this policy by putting an extra $200,000 on an extra baiting program. This extra baiting program will be targeted. It will target the hotspots between Coober Pedy and the New South Wales border. It's there to help protect the pastoralists and the livestock breeders here in South Australia. A $1.4 billion industry is our lamb industry here in South Australia, both exports and wool.

Mr Koutsantonis interjecting:

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: The member for West Torrens can jibe and snipe all he wants, but regions do matter. The state's economy does matter.

Mr Koutsantonis interjecting:

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: Yes, it does. And you just continue to worry about your beard and we'll worry about the economy here in South Australia.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my right! The minister will be seated.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order! I ask the minister not to respond to interjections. This is what happens. Member for West Torrens.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: All I ask is for him to do up his jacket, sir.

The SPEAKER: Minister, would you like to finish your answer?

The Hon. S.K. Knoll: How much manscaping does it take every morning?

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Transport is not responsible to the house for manscaping; he is warned.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: Thank you, Speaker. I go on to recognise the ability to address—

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I haven't seen him in a beard, no. Minister.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: I acknowledge the urgency to address this wild dog issue. As I have said, we are going to put an extra $200,000 into additional baits so that we can strategically aerial bait to deal with wild dogs that are attacking our sheep industry. The baiting campaign will provide landholders with more than 100,000 manufactured and fresh meat baits in addition to the existing 180,000 baits that come under the Biteback Program.

I am sure the previous minister would understand how that works, and it is a good program. What I'm saying is that over here we are looking after and continue to look after our state's economy by dealing with the wild dogs. They are heading south. Many people in regional South Australia know that wild dogs are playing a significant part.

In 2017, about 4,000 sheep were lost to wild dogs. It's reported that 500 wild dogs have been controlled in that period of time. Of course, working with all the groups—the wild dog advisory board, the state government and myself, and I have met with all of the advisory groups—they are very, very gratified that a government has actually stepped in to be counted, to put a policy in place without being under pressure, without looking at ways to ignore one of our great industries here in South Australia.

What I would say is that we do know, by working collaboratively through the pastoralists, through government and through industry, that we will have a controlled program that will deal with wild dogs. The state government is working to reduce the dog numbers collaboratively with key stakeholders. I will name them because they are very, very important: the Wild Dog Advisory Group; the South Australian Sheep Advisory Group; the natural resources management boards, soon-to-be Landscape SA; the Dog Fence Board; Livestock SA; the Australian government; Australian Wool Innovation; and the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions—because regions matter.

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