Invasive plants and animals consultations and reviews

Current, past and proposed consultations and reviews along with written submissions and departmental responses and decisions are shown on this page.

Current and forward agenda

This page is updated from time to time with information on upcoming consultations.

Recently closed

Public consultations and reviews that have been conducted by the department.

Livestock predation survey

This survey is now closed.

If you have any questions about the survey, please email the team at livestockpredation@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Summary

Between 23 July and 6 August 2024, Agriculture Victoria undertook a Livestock Predation Survey seeking up-to-date information to better understand how wild dogs and dingoes are affecting Victorian livestock farmers.

The survey collected data on the impacts of livestock predation on Victorian farmers over the last five years, to complement long-term information collected by the Victorian Government's Wild Dog Management Program.

Major themes

  • Predation of livestock is ongoing and of concern to sheep farmers in eastern and north-west Victoria, particularly for properties bordering public land.
  • Livestock producers use a mix of lethal and non-lethal controls to manage predation (16% of respondents report NOT using non-lethal controls).
  • Non-lethal controls, except for fencing and to some extent guardian animals, are seen as ineffective. The cost of fencing is a particular concern.

Key information

Respondents

  • There were more than 500 respondents with approximately 72% of respondents located in eastern Victoria, 3% in the north-west, and 25% from the rest of the state.

Respondents who had stock lost to wild dogs or dingoes in the last 5 years

  • More than half the respondents in eastern Victoria (60%) and the north-west (70%) reported livestock killed or maimed by a wild dog or dingo in the past 5 years, compared with 18% in the rest of Victoria.

Use of lethal control methods by respondents over the past 5 years

  • The most reported lethal control method used for wild dogs or dingoes was shooting, used by almost 50% the respondents. 1080 ground baiting methods and trapping were each used by about 20% of the respondents.

Use of non-lethal control methods by respondents over the last 5 years

The most common non-lethal controls for wild dogs and dingoes were:

  • 50% used farm hygiene (promptly removing carcasses)
  • exclusion fencing using electric offsets (25%) and conventional exclusion fencing (15%)
  • 10% have used alpacas or llamas as guardian animals, while 5% have used guardian dogs.
  • 16% of respondents use no non-lethal methods.

Reasons for not using non-lethal control methods over the last 5 years:

  • Barriers to building infrastructure or fencing were primarily related to high capital investment (56-62% of responses) while barriers to using guardian animals were mainly that they are not seen as effective (27-40%) and difficult to use (18-22%).
  • Noise, light or smell deterrents were generally viewed as not effective (42-49%).
  • Explanatory comments include:
    • ‘Some of the non-lethal control measures have been tried through the years and only last roughly 2 weeks before the wild dogs work out that they aren’t harmful.’
    • ‘We operate in hill country. Every non-lethal approach mentioned is either impossible to implement because of the terrain or simply irrational to implement given our farming system.’
    • ‘I have put up an exclusion fence but my neighbours haven’t and the dogs are able to walk into their place and then into mine which is not at all helpful.’

Overall level of concern about wild dogs or dingoes near property

  • 70% of respondents are very or extremely concerned about wild dogs or dingoes near their property, with nearly 50% extremely concerned.

Mental health impacts

  • Mental health impacts were mentioned by a lot of respondents. Examples include:
  • ‘After an attack I feel that I have failed in my duty to the stock.’
  • ‘The fear of the next attack never goes away.’
  • ‘You feel like you can’t leave the farm, even for a short stay.’
  • ‘We’re worried all the time, anxious about what we may find.’
  • Some respondents also reported feeling unsafe on their property and on bushland. Many expressed worry about attacks on people and pets increasing.

Wild dog program

  • Respondents expressed overwhelming gratitude for the work of Wild Dog Controllers. They were seen as having highly valued knowledge, experience and expertise.

Living with dingoes

  • Some respondents made comments that were generally favourable toward dingoes:
  • ‘Dingoes belong in the landscape; we can learn to live with them.’
  • ‘I believe that wild dogs/dingoes are an important part of the Australian ecosystem.  Interfering with their populations just makes the problem of pigs, deer and kangaroos much worse. Australia is DECADES behind other countries in embracing its native predators.’

Data summaries related to the wild dog management program

This report is a summary of data compiled by DEECA’s Arthur Rylah Institute and includes information relating to dingo abundance and livestock predation. Following the identification of a reporting issue associated with the data contained in this report, it was updated in October 2024 with information provided in footnotes throughout.

Older reviews

Invasive Marine Pests Module

November 2021 to December 2021

Agriculture Victoria has developed the Invasive Marine Pests Module under the Victorian Government’s Invasive Plants and Animals Policy Framework. The module sets out the Victorian Government’s approach to the prevention, eradication and containment of marine pests and protection of assets from the impact of marine pests. The public consultation on the module provided stakeholders the opportunity to comment on the module. The Consultation Summary is provided below, and the finalised module can be found here.

Invasive Species Regulatory Improvement Study

August 2014 to January 2015

The study aimed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the regulation of invasive species in Victoria by formalising a risk based approach. The study team undertook targeted consultation with stakeholders who have had direct experience with the Victorian invasive species regulatory framework.

Non-Indigenous Bird Management Policy

Closed 16 May 2014

Working with stakeholders and bird groups to help determine the species list that the new policy applies to.

Non-Indigenous Bird Management Policy

15 May to 28 June 2013

To provide stakeholders with the opportunity to help develop and improve Victoria's approach to the management of non-indigenous birds.

Discussion paper

A discussion paper outlined and sought comments on a proposed new approach to the management of non-indigenous birds in Victoria.

Framework for new invasive species management legislation

13 August to 5 October 2012

To provide stakeholders with the opportunity to have their say about the proposed framework for new stand-alone invasive species management legislation for Victoria.

Contact us

Please direct any enquiries about Invasive Species consultations to the Customer Service Centre on 136 186 or email invasivespecies.consultation@agriculture.vic.gov.au.

Page last updated: 04 Nov 2024