Senate debates

Thursday, 20 September 2012

Questions on Notice

Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Question No. 2111)

Photo of Joe LudwigJoe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

The answer to the senator’s question is as follows:

(1)   The number of dingos/wild dogs inside the South Australian Dog Fence has gradually increased over the past few years, as it has in rangeland ‘sheep zones’ in other states. This has occurred for several reasons:

        (2)   Advice from Australian Wool Innovation Limited is that $163 000 has been invested in dingo/wild dog control below the Dog Fence in the South Australian Arid Lands region. This funding has been for:

              (3)   No targets for “dingos baited” were set for the trial.

              (4)   Refer to the response to Q(1).

              (5)   No.

              (6)   Research to date suggests that wild dog baits do not pose a significant threat to any off-target wildlife populations in the region.

              The high sensitivity of wild dogs to the toxin, in comparison with native carnivores, means that baits can be prepared that carry a toxin dose too low to be toxic to native animals of the region and are also too large to be taken by the native animals. The toxin does not bioaccumulate and sub-lethal doses are excreted within 24 hours. The risk of off-target impacts is thereby minimised.

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