The Minns Labor Government has launched its autumn offensive against wild dogs to protect farming livestock and the environment with aerial and ground baiting programs underway across NSW.
Wild dog activity peaks during the autumn breeding season and acting now can significantly reduce populations and minimise predation and harassment of livestock, native wildlife and pets.
Wild dogs are found throughout NSW, and all landholders have a responsibility to work together to manage them under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015.
This program is part of the Minns Government's historic $1.05 billion funding for its biosecurity program to protect farming operations and agricultural lands.
Since July 2023 the Minns Government has distributed more than 1.5 million baits for wild dog control programs through bait collection points across NSW.
Nearly half of the bait total has been distributed through aerial baiting programs, where 1080 chemical baits have been dropped by aircraft along a planned 40,000 kms of strategic lines.
The autumn and spring baiting programs work together to provide landholders with an important opportunity to participate in broadscale and strategic control efforts.
Wild dogs increasingly scavenge for food during autumn, while follow-up control in spring after pups are born delivers a targeted one-two blow to wild dog populations.
The NSW Government's Local Land Services (LLS) facilitates coordinated wild dog control programs supplying subsidised 1080 baits to certified landholders, plus supporting public and private land managers to undertake control activities.
Aerial baiting is considered a highly effective tool for managing wild dogs, particularly in difficult or hard-to-reach terrain. It can also help manage fox populations during autumn when cubs feed more opportunistically.
As part of the Minns Government's LLS baiting program:
- All baits distributed are prepared in accordance with strict regulations to ensure safe and effective use.
- All landholders in NSW must hold a Vertebrate Pesticide Induction Training (VPIT) qualification or AQF3 Chemical Accreditation to participate in baiting programs.
- The LLS VPIT course is online and face-to-face for free, certification is valid for five years.
- More than 6,000 landholders have completed the VPIT course since July 2023.
- Local Land Services supports landholders by loaning traps, plus delivers training and workshops to increase awareness of the behaviours and impacts of wild dogs.
Landholders can contact their nearest LLS office to speak with a biosecurity officer about control options best suited to their property and to find out more about upcoming baiting programs.
Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said:
"We know that a united front is our best defence against wild dogs and foxes that can impact our important livestock farming and native mammals, birds and reptiles.
"When farmers and neighbouring landholders participate in coordinated control programs with LLS support, the effort to control these pests is magnified across a landscape-scale impact that is far more effective than any landholder acting alone.
"The autumn baiting program demonstrates the Minns Government's ongoing commitment to supporting landholders in the fight against feral animals with the right tools, at the right time.
"With the appropriate controls and safeguards, baiting is a highly effective tool for managing wild dogs and is just one of the ways our Government supports farmers and landholders to meet their biosecurity duty to manage pest animals.
"The more landholders working together and participating in these coordinated baiting programs, the more effective they are for protecting farming operations and our unique landscape.
"Every wild dog we remove from the landscape can mean fewer lambs lost, less stress on cattle and real savings for producers."
Local Land Services Principal Program Manager Biosecurity, Jake Tanner said:
"Managing wild dogs is a shared responsibility, and we all have a role to play in protecting livestock, the environment and regional communities.
"Local Land Services is here to make wild dog control as practical and effective as possible for farmers. We provide training to certify farmers, supply baits to certified landholders, coordinate broadscale baiting programs and help bring neighbours together so we can together control what is happening across a region.
"We encourage any landholder who hasn't become certified or been involved in a coordinated control program before to reach out to their nearest Local Land Services office. Our biosecurity officers can talk through the best options for your property and help you get started."
