SAAL NRM Board and Livestock SA partner to increase wild dog control
Land managers in the SA Arid Lands will have additional tools to combat wild dogs this year thanks to a fresh injection of funds and a new partnership between Livestock SA and the SA Arid Land NRM Board.
Posted 05 November 2014.
Land managers in the SA Arid Lands will have additional tools to combat wild dogs this year thanks to a fresh injection of funds and a new partnership between Livestock SA and the SA Arid Land (SAAL) Natural Resources Management (NRM) Board.
The SAAL NRM Board has been charged by Livestock SA with the delivery on-ground of $300,000 in State and Australian Government drought assistance funding to step up strategic management of wild dog impacts in the region.
“Wild dogs continue to be a significant threat to the South Australian livestock industry and the livelihoods of pastoralists in the SA Arid Lands region and it’s critical that we do our bit to stem their flow south from our region,” said Ms Janet Brook, Presiding Member of the SA Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board.
“The new partnership with Livestock SA – and the existing one with the South Australian Sheep Advisory Group and Biosecurity SA – are terrific examples of how industry, government and land managers can partner to tackle a land management issue.”
At its October meeting the Board decided to allocate the funds to activities inside (south of) the Dog Fence — this includes workshops to train land managers in trapping and the contract of a professional dog trapper for 12 months.
The Board will also allocate funds to outside (north of) the Dog Fence to subsidise manufactured baits and to connect land managers with volunteer shooters.
“With Livestock SA , the SAAL NRM Board and Government partnering a collaborative approach to wild dog control, I believe in time we can alleviate the scourge and emotion pastoralists and other livestock producers are experiencing with wild dog predation,” said Mr Geoff Power, Chair of the State Government’s SA Wild Dog Advisory Group and a Board member of Livestock SA.
Land managers will also benefit from a second wild dog officer for the region with the NRM Board allocating an additional $180,000 from its regional (land-based) NRM levy in August to assist drought-affected pastoralists to control wild dogs.
“The Board has been supporting wild dog management in the region for some time having directed its land-based NRM levy to the Biteback program for wild dog control since its initiation by the North Flinders NRM Group in 2009,” said Ms Brook.
“This new position will primarily concentrate on supporting land managers inside the Fence to undertake wild dog control, but also to provide an annual baiting service outside the Fence.”
The NRM Board is also allocating an additional $100,000 of its NRM water levy funds to support pastoralists to manage water resources during extended dry periods.
These funds are being used to bolster the $300,000 committed by the Australian and South Australian Governments for water infrastructure projects and being delivered by Livestock SA.
For further information call the Natural Resources Centre in Port Augusta 8648 5300.
