Parks Victoria exploring the reintroduction of dingoes to Grampians National Park

Nicholas Nakos - 30 November 2020

The Ararat Advertiser, Wimmera Mail Times,

The reintroduction of dingoes into Grampians National Park has been called wholly impractical by Western Victoria MP Bev McArthur.

Mrs McArthur has told Parliament the proposal has sent a shiver down the spine of surrounding sheep farmers.

"The fact such an ill-considered proposal has been made by our peak public land custodian is cause for great concern," Mrs McArthur said.

"The introduction of dingoes would constitute a devastating and existential conflict with grazing."

In mid-November, Parks Victoria said it was exploring the viability of reintroducing dingoes into the park, to help manage pests.

The plan, developed in partnership with Traditional Owners, suggested exploring the reintroduction of dingoes to manage foxes, feral cats and rabbits and reduce the number of kangaroos and wallabies.

Dingoes are thought to be extinct in the area and the plan stated their reintroduction could "restore missing ecological processes".

Barengi Gadjin Land Council on-country operations manager Stuart Harradine, who represents theWotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk peoples, said the plan was about "bringing back some ecological barriers".

"Dingoes have traditionally filled a niche in the environment and they're not only an important part of how the country should work, but they're also important totem species for our people," Mr Harradine said.

"They are important concerns by farmers and we acknowledge that. We don't want that sort of thing to happen and affect people's livelihoods or income."

Mrs McArthur said livestock production played an important role in the local economy and dingo attacks on sheep are cruel in the extreme.

"Dingoes are known to prefer the taste of a single organ and in doing so, disembowel sheep after sheep, leaving them to die an excruciating slow death."