Arabic version: تحقيق في نيو ساوث ويلز يبحث إدارة الدنغو والكلاب البرية

According to ABC News, a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry into dingo management in national parks has received close to 400 submissions and is due to begin hearings on Tuesday. The inquiry has exposed divisions among graziers, Indigenous traditional owners and conservation groups over the animals, which are also described as wild dogs.

Yugambeh Mununjali traditional owner Lionel Currie, who worked for decades in NSW National Parks’ 1,080 wild dog baiting program along the northern border ranges, said he left after struggling with work that involved killing dingoes. He said dingoes were important to his culture and played a role in maintaining ecosystem balance, calling for killings in national parks to stop.

Grazier Greg Alcock, who runs sheep in alpine country near Cooma, said attacks had caused substantial financial and emotional harm. He estimated losing $60,000 in animals over five years and spending $500,000 on exclusion fencing. Mr Alcock said dogs could maul as many as 60 sheep in a night, while the impact of injured animals had also been confronting for his family.

The NSW government says dingoes are an ancient breed of domestic dog brought to Australia via Asia about 4,000 years ago. Under current management, they are categorised as wild dogs and may be treated or baited accordingly. University of New South Wales conservation biologist Mike Letnic said removing dingoes could lead to increased kangaroo numbers, the loss of native animals and changes to vegetation.

Defend the Wild founding director Alix Livingstone said landholders should receive funding for alternatives that protect livestock while maintaining dingoes in national parks. Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said the government backed a coordinated, risk-based, asset-protection approach to limit livestock attacks, disease transmission and losses of threatened native fauna, while recognising dingoes’ ecological role.