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Environment Agriculture | December 14, 2020

Kealy calls out minister on “preposterous” dingo plan

The Nationals Member for Lowan Emma Kealy has spoken in Parliament to call on the Minister for Environment to categorically rule out plans to reintroduce dingoes to the Grampians National Park.

Ms Kealy said local landholders, tourism operators and visitors to the Grampians National Park were recently understandably shocked to learn that Parks Victoria was planning to reintroduce dingoes to the park, as proposed in the Greater Gariwerd Landscape Draft Management Plan. 

“The Grampians is surrounded by prime grazing land and the devastation caused to stock by wild dogs is well known to the Andrews Labor Government,” Ms Kealy said.

“In the year’s budget alone there is $4.4 million allocated to a special Wild Dog Project, with the government noting the funding is ‘reducing the risks wild dogs pose to primary production, biodiversity and community health in Victoria’.

“A further $14 million has been allocated to additional pest and wild dog management.

“It is beyond absurd that Labor would spend millions to manage the harm caused by wild dogs in other areas of the state while at the same time having plans to reintroduce wild dogs to an area where so much damage would be caused to livestock, threatened species of smaller native animals, and the biodiversity of the Grampians, not to mention the harm that could be caused to young families and children that visit the park.

“I have asked the minister to rule out this preposterous plan to reintroduce dingoes to the Grampians National Park.”

The Greater Gariwerd Landscape Draft Management Plan is open for public comment.

Ms Kealy encouraged people to submit their feedback at engage.vic.gov.au/gariwerd-management-plan