Ministers: Dingoes deserve protection not persecution - Victorian National Parks AssociationVictorian National Parks Association

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Dear Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos and Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence,

Re: Protection of threatened native Dingoes in Victoria

Your decision to extend the 'un-protection' order on Dingoes until 2028 is very disappointing.

These iconic apex predators are a listed threatened species and deserve protection.

Dingoes play an important ecological role in Victoria’s landscapes and reduce populations of grazing native animals such as kangaroos.

From the deserts of western Victoria to the high alpine peaks, they also hold deep cultural significance for First Nations communities, as recognised in the National First Nations Dingo Declaration. Management decisions about culturally significant species such as Dingoes must be made in partnership with Traditional Owner groups in a genuine and culturally safe manner.

Dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) are listed as Vulnerable to extinction under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. Continuing to trap, bait and shoot such an ecological and culturally important species is neither ethical nor sustainable.

Evidence about the genetic integrity of Dingo populations and low levels of breeding with domestic dogs highlights the importance of protecting Dingoes. It also highlights the need for business and government to move toward more ecologically sound and wildlife safe methods of farming and production.

Trapping, shooting and baiting of Dingoes within a 3km buffer zone of public land, including protected areas such as national parks as well as closed water catchments, is unacceptable. Dingoes should be safe within these areas at the very least.

In March this year, you both helped our state take a great leap forward in protecting the Big Desert population of Wilkerr/Dingo because of their declining numbers and low genetic diversity caused by culling. And for that wonderful decision and action I thank you both. This was the first such decision made in Australia to protect our native apex predator.

I also welcome the ending of the highly flawed bounty program that targeted Dingoes and the small investment into non-lethal deterrents. These changes are welcome, but you need to go further.

Further investment into research and development is needed to better understand Dingo population dynamics in Victoria and non-lethal stock protection methods. Consumers are seeking out ethically grown and sustainable produce, so this research and development is needed to keep up with this growing consumer demand to protect wildlife in farming and production operations.

I also support the need to compensate impacted farmers for livestock lost to Dingoes, once it has been verified the stock was lost to a Dingo and not other means.

I am deeply saddened and disappointed by your decision to continue killing native Dingoes until 2028 despite their ecological importance and cultural significance to First Nations communities.

Re-protecting this apex predator will require long term monitoring, data collection, funding and shared decision-making with Traditional Owner groups. This will allow better evidence-based and culturally safe approaches to Dingo care and management.

Collection of data such as genetics, interactions with livestock and pest species and usefulness of non-lethal techniques to protect livestock is critical. We need it to understand how Dingoes use the landscape and how we can better live with them.

For Victoria to improve its relationship with Dingoes, we need not just long term funding to investigate and implement non-lethal options but also long term monitoring of Dingo populations, genetics and ecological roles.

This will help build knowledge on useful non-lethal techniques to discourage Dingo and stock interactions and increase our understanding of Dingoes and their role in the landscape.

Instead of reaching for lethal control, this is a chance for farmers, Traditional Owners, scientists and conservationists to come together and seize this opportunity to use evidence and cultural knowledge to guide decision-making and determinations. This can help us truly learn how to live in this beautiful country together with its amazing wildlife.

But first, Dingoes must be protected across all of Victoria.

Please review your recent decision and remove the 'un-protection' order on Dingoes.

Sincerely,

Dingoes are iconic apex predators. They’re an important part of our intricate web of life and hold deep culture significance for First Nations communities.

But they’re being slaughtered. Threatened with extinction, there’s an ‘un-protection’ order out on them across most of Victoria.

And the Victorian Government just announced that Dingoes can be legally killed until 2028.

Call on your elected reps to find a better way to live with Dingoes, so they get the protection they deserve.

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