NSW parliamentary inquiry pits farmers against conservationists over wild dog management
A NSW parliamentary inquiry will examine wild dog and dingo management in national parks, highlighting a sharp divide between livestock owners and conservation groups.
Close to 400 written submissions have led to a parliamentary inquiry into how wild dogs and dingoes are managed in New South Wales national parks. Farmers such as Greg Alcock, who reports $60,000 in livestock losses and $500,000 spent on exclusion fencing, describe the predators as ruthless killers that devastate farms. Indigenous traditional owner Lionel Currie, a former employee of the NSW National Parks baiting program, contends that dingoes are cultural custodians and that lethal control disrupts ecological balance.
Conservation biologist Mike Letnic warns that eliminating dingoes can cause kangaroo numbers to surge and alter vegetation. The advocacy group Defend the Wild calls for legal protection and funding for non-lethal safeguards. Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty says the state will adopt a coordinated, risk-based strategy that protects livestock while recognising dingoes’ ecological importance.
Why it matters
The decision will affect farm incomes, Indigenous cultural practices, and the health of NSW ecosystems.
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