Urge the Victorian Labor Government to protect Dingoes on all public land across the state
As seen on ABC’s 7.30 Program
This campaign was featured in a report by ABC’s 7.30 program in November 2022. The program revealed the devastating consequences of the Victorian government’s ‘wild-dog’ management program.
Exciting progress made by the Victorian Government in March, 2024
The Victorian Labor Government has taken groundbreaking action in line with the expectations of Traditional Owners, wildlife advocates and the general public and moved to protect a geographically isolated population of Dingoes in Victoria’s North West. Landholders in the area will be supported to uptake alternative non-lethal predator mitigation strategies.
According to the Victorian Government’s media release:
“Effective from 14 March, the dingo unprotection order will conclude in north west Victoria - this decision follows new research, strong advice and the effectiveness of non-lethal dingo control methods to protect livestock.
Farmers in this area will be supported by a $550,000 investment to adopt alternate non-lethal control methods via a pilot of measures, such as exclusion fencing and guardian animals.”
The Wotjobaluk People have fought especially hard to protect the Dingoes in this region and their incredible work has paid off. We also extend our appreciation to all those who have been working so hard to protect Dingoes in the area. What an incredible win our collective efforts have achieved.
Image credit: Australian Geographic
Whilst Dingoes across the remainder of the state will still be subject to the Victorian Governments ‘unprotection order’, this is a huge win for Dingoes. North West Victoria can act as a springboard for the rest of the country to begin moving towards predator mitigation strategies that promote coexistence and better protect ecosystems.
Defend the Wild is proud to have consulted with the Government around the use of non-lethal measures to protect Dingoes and livestock. We thank the Victorian Government for making this important decision and look forward to working alongside them to protect dingoes on all public lands across Victoria in the future.
An (un)protected species
Dingoes are listed as a protected species in Victoria. However, an Order in Council approved by the Victorian state government unprotects them in many parts of the state, allowing them to be targeted with cruel lethal control programs.
This investigation, conducted in collaboration with Farm Transparency Project, reveals the Victorian Government Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action’s (DEECA) cruel trapping and shooting of Victorian Dingoes. Sadly, all Australian states undertake similar programs to kill Dingoes.
Across Victoria, there are 17 community groups engaging in Dingo control, and each management zone is allocated a government employed ‘wild-dog controller’ to assist in the lethal management of Dingoes. These groups deploy foothold traps, and 1080 baits, with the aim of killing Dingoes in the area. Unbelievably, the Victorian government also offer a bounty to hunters to submit Dingo pelts too.
Video produced by Alix Livingstone, edited by Chris Delforce, narrated by Ellen Burbidge (The Juice Media).
Government’s own inquiry calls for an end to lethal Dingo control
Recommendation 28 of Victoria’s Parliamentary Inquiry into Declining Ecosystems advises that, in relation to Dingoes and Dingo-dog hybrids, the Victorian government revoke the Order in Council made under the Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic), which declared Dingoes as ‘unprotected wildlife’, and support landholders to use non-lethal alternatives to protect their livestock. The Labor Government is yet to respond to this inquiry and it’s recommendations.
The 2022–2023 Wild Dog Management Zone Work Plans came into effect in July 2022. This plan includes the use of 1080 baits, foothold traps and shooting, as well as a bounty program.
We are calling on the Allan government to continue their positive progress and protect Dingoes on public land across the remainder of the state.
Taxpayer dollars used to kill a keynote species
The Victorian state government has invested $6 million over the last four years into the wild-dog (dingo) management plan, and in their recent budget allocated a further $6.72 million to Agriculture Victoria for the continuation of the Victorian fox and ‘wild-dog’ (dingo) bounty until June 2024.
Dingoes have been deceptively labelled as wild-dogs to allow for their hunting to be kept from the public. The killing of native wildlife for the sake of human commercial interests is not in alignment with the majority of community members in Victoria.
Supporting farmers to implement non-lethal predator mitigation strategies can ensure the protection of Dingoes and farmers livestock.
Defend the Wild advocates for the Victorian government to remove the wild-dog livestock protection buffer, which allows the lethal control of dingoes within their natural habitat, and invest in non-lethal predator mitigation strategies across
Governments should incentivise non-lethal predator mitigation strategies for landholders whose properties are at high risk of predation. Guardian dogs and donkeys have been found to effectively reduce predation by Dingoes and other predators on livestock, and should be promoted by local councils as an effective non-lethal solution to protecting livestock.
Providing on-ground support and guidance for farmers to implement these strategies successfully is vital.
Love can set you free: a rescue story
Can you help us continue our work for dingoes?
Defend the Wild is dedicated to protecting dingoes in Victoria and beyond. This work is only possible because of people like you.
Join our Defend the Dingo fund to help us continue working towards a future in which iconic dingoes are not persecuted simply for existing. Any contribution makes a tremendous difference.
View the full campaign image and video gallery
View all images, and extended footage edits of this investigation over at our initiative member Farm Transparency Project’s website.
Thank you to our initiative members, who worked with us to make this campaign possible:
And the wonderful investigators who made this exposé and subsequent rescue possible:
Alix Livingstone, Chris Delforce, Catriona Marshall, Siena Callander, Jessica Rogers, Ella Jean, and Gav Wheatley.
Pledge to become a wildlife defender today!
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