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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-09-12 Daily Xml
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Feral Dogs

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:36): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development regarding feral dog control.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: I have been approached by stakeholders and producers concerned about the lack of feral dog controls across the Victorian border. There are eyewitness reports that feral dogs are entering our state and breeding in the Ngarkat Conservation Park before attacking livestock and native wildlife in the surrounding area. One farmer reports losing all of his season's lambs in a single night attack. My questions to the minister are:

1. As the Minister for Primary Industries, have the concerns of producers regarding unchecked feral dogs crossing from Victoria been addressed?

2. What steps has the department taken in reaction to those concerns?

3. Can the minister update the chamber on how the Cross Border Commissioner is investigating this matter?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:37): I thank the honourable member for her question. Any condition or, in this case, animal that is causing widespread damage to livestock is, of course, a concern. In terms of the issue that the member has mentioned, I have certainly had a briefing in regard to this. When it comes to work across the border, this is something that the Cross Border Commissioner is aware of.

I am looking forward to having my regular meeting with the Cross Border Commissioner within the next week, if I remember correctly from my diary. This will be something that we will discuss, remembering also that for a lot of issues—whether it be around invasive species, whether it be feral deer, or whether it be all sorts of other threats to our primary production, livestock and also often wildlife—we work closely with landscape boards and with the Department for Environment and Water, as well as through my department and others. This approach will continue, and we will continue to look at this question.

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