Funds released for wild dog trapping

Posted 27 March 2017.

Land managers in the SA Arid Lands region south of the Dog Fence can now access funds

through the South Australian Arid Lands (SAAL) Natural Resources Management (NRM) Board to

support wild dog trapping.

Under the initiative, the Board will contribute up to $120,000 across the region, covering 50 per

cent of the cost to land managers associated with the employment of dog trappers.

To discuss eligibility and access to this funding support, land managers are encouraged to seek

advice from the ‘Biteback’ program team, Natural Resources SA Arid Lands.

The SAAL NRM Board has received this funding under the Australian Government Agricultural

Competitiveness White Paper, the Australian Government's plan for stronger farmers and a

stronger economy.

It follows the recent announcement of $300,000 in additional funds from the SA Sheep Advisory

Group and Australian Wool Innovation to support the long-standing Biteback program and the

commencement of a State Wild Dog Coordinator in Port Augusta.

The State Wild Dog Coordinator will contribute to the delivery of key actions in the State Wild

Dog Strategy; explore opportunities to expand the Biteback model into other NRM regions;

assist in delivering the Biteback program in the SA Arid Lands region; and assist with policy

development and reporting at a state and national level.

Contact the Wild Dog Management team in Natural Resources SA Arid Lands on (08) 8648 5300

or SAAridlands@sa.gov.au.

Background

Since 2009 the South Australian Arid Lands NRM Board’s Biteback program has been supporting

land managers in their efforts to control wild dogs south of the Dog Fence, offering advice on

best practice control, encouraging non-participating properties to get involved, demonstrating

new and innovative control technologies, coordinating injection services for 1080 baiting, and

supporting strategic aerial baiting programs.

Biteback is a partnership between the SA Arid Lands NRM Board, the South Australian and

Australian Governments, the sheep industry and landholders.

The program will add value to the efforts of the previous trapping program, where 108 wild

dogs were removed from 30 properties over a 14 month period in 2015/16.

Quotes attributable to Ms Janet Brook, Presiding Member, SA Arid Lands NRM Board

The SA Arid Lands NRM Board welcomes this fresh investment of funding to the Board’s Biteback

program which provides additonal support to land managers in their efforts to undetake dog

control.

The Board acknowledges the 80 per cent of land managers south of the Dog Fence who are

undertaking wild dog baiting to reduce the impacts of wild dogs on stock and protect South

Australia’s $1.5 billion sheep industry.

A long term commitment to wild dog control, which uses a combination of control measures, is

the most effective way to reduce the impacts of wild dogs in pastoral areas.

Dogs have a high impact in localised areas and opportunistic trapping and shooting of dogs is

also an important part of an integrated control approach.