2024–25 wild dog management zone work plans
Update
This page will be updated in the coming weeks in response to the new Dingo Unprotection Order made under the Wildlife Act 1975 on 24 September 2024.
The program will continue to provide valued support to farmers in the east, providing responsive and targeted control to mitigate the impacts on livestock using a range of non-lethal and lethal control measures. The program will also continue to work with farmers in the northwest to support non-lethal mitigation of the risk of livestock predation.
Recent science indicates that what were previously thought of as wild dog or dingo–dog hybrids are now highly likely to be dingoes.
Dingoes are protected as a threatened species under the Wildlife Act 1975 and the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.
Lethal dingo control is only permitted within Victoria’s unprotection zone.
It is difficult to distinguish between a wild dog and a dingo without DNA testing.
Penalties apply for the destruction of wildlife.
Find out moreWild dog management zone (WDMZ) work plans are developed annually by the community, industry and government. They create a shared understanding that helps stakeholders to work effectively together to reduce the impacts of wild dogs using all available tools.
Livestock Predation management
A successful control program requires an integrated, strategic and proactive approach where all land managers, community and government work together to protect livestock and livestock production from the impacts of predation through a cross-tenure approach. This plan is a result of community and government working together.
The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) supports coordinated strategic best practice management on public and private land to protect impacted landholders and neighbouring properties. DEECA leads control activities on public land in Eastern Victoria and assists affected communities through engagement, advice and capability building. DEECA officer’s may also provide direct support and assistance to producers following an attack on livestock.
What we do
Ground baiting
Where permitted, targeted ground baiting is a proactive tool that supports individuals and communities experiencing livestock predation.
DEECA will carry out targeted ground baiting on public land after community consultation. The attached map shows where targeted ground baiting will occur between 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025. Targeted ground baiting transects will be baited at least once throughout this period. Adjoining landowners will be notified prior to baiting starting and warning signs put in place on all baited land.
Trapping
Where permitted, DEECA will provide reactive trapping services to support individuals and communities experiencing livestock losses and other negative impacts due to wild dogs, such as attacks or threatening behaviour towards domestic animals and pets. Warning signs are put in place when trapping is being undertaken.
DEECA will implement proactive trapping across the WDMZ where the workload of the DEECA officer permits.
Shooting
Where permitted, DEECA will use shooting to manage the impacts of wild dogs to support baiting and trapping activities, or where appropriate, in areas where baiting and trapping cannot be implemented.
Risk assessment
Be aware that due to local circumstances such as risk to non-target species, proximity to high traffic areas, habitation, and public access, it may not be possible to perform any on-ground control works on public and/or private land in the area.
What you can do
Predation management techniques
There are a variety of lethal (where permitted) and non-lethal management techniques available to landholders, including:
- baiting with 1080 and PAPP
- trapping
- shooting
- exclusion fencing
- guardian animals
- property hygiene.
Landholders must consider the risks of each management technique as it applies to their situation.
Information and advice on the use and application of each of these methods can be provided by a DEECA officer or the community vertebrate pest control coordinator. Alternatively, read the information at Integrated livestock predation management.
Community control groups
Community control programs, supported by the DEECA’s Vertebrate Species Management Program’s community vertebrate pest control coordinator, involve groups of private landowners in a local area taking part in coordinated predator control on private land.
Coordinated control programs provide the opportunity to maximise the benefits of integrated baiting and trapping efforts conducted by private landowners to complement the works of DEECA for effective long term dingo management.
Participants in community control programs can learn from one another which techniques work best in their local area, and benefit from organised demonstrations and field days which include non-lethal control methods such as exclusion fencing and use of guardian animals.
For more information on how to become involved in a community control program, contact your community vertebrate pest control coordinator:
Mick Freeman, DEECA
Phone: 0429 079 131
Email: michael.freeman@deeca.vic.gov.au
Report predation incidents
Incident reports involving stock killed or maimed will be given priority over ‘seen or heard’ reports. Depending on the demand for services of DEECA officer, seen-and-heard reports may not receive an on-ground response. However, the details of all incident reports are recorded and used for intelligence gathering to inform control activities.
Landholders who observe predator activity or experience a predation must phone their senior DEECA Officer controller as soon as possible after an incident to formally lodge an incident report. The senior DEECA Officer will triage the incident report and assign a DEECA Officer to respond to the incident and provide follow-up communication.
If contact is not made directly with the senior DEECA Officer, we ask that landholders leave a message and the senior DEECA Officer will return the call within 24 hours (excluding weekends and public holidays).
Senior DEECA officer | Localities | Contact number |
|---|---|---|
Kyle Small | Biggara, Burrowye, Corryong, Cudgewa, Granya, Gundowring, Koetong, Lucyvale, Mitta Mitta Valley, Mount Alfred, Nariel, Sandy Creek, Shelley, Tallangatta, Tallangatta Valley, Tintaldra, Walwa | |
David Klippel | Alexandra, Jamieson, Mansfield, Merrijig, Molesworth, Ovens, Whitfield, Yea | |
Anthony Websdale | Bairnsdale, Benambra, Dargo, Ensay, Heyfield, Licola, Maffra, Omeo, Swifts Creek | |
Dwayne Needham | Bendoc, Bonang, Buchan, Cann River, Deddick, Erica, Gembrook,Gelantipy, Noojee, Orbost, Tubbut |
Note: To report any issues in relation to domestic dogs, contact your local council.
Our service agreement with the community
The DEECA Vertebrate Species Management Program (previously known as the Wild Dog Program) response process for killed, maimed or harassed livestock, or where pets are attacked or people feel threatened, includes:
- a DEECA Officer contacting the landholder within 24 hours (excluding weekends and public holidays)
- verification of stock death due to predation attack within 72 hours (i.e. not fox or domestic dogs) and predator activity where current work demands allow
- contact with local shire ranger if impacts are believed to be domestic dog-related
- provision of advice to landholders on immediate actions to be taken on-farm to mitigate further losses and risk
- provision of advice to bushwalkers and other public land users who are concerned about predator activity
- assessment of current predator in the area on both public and private land (and modify if required)
- considering potential human and non-target species risks that may impact on the DEECA Officer’s ability to safely and effectively manage predator before implementing control actions using reactive tools and techniques.
Be aware that, due to local circumstances, it may not be possible to perform any on-ground control works on public and/or private land in the area.
Reactive control services, if applicable, may be withdrawn 30 days or less after a livestock attack. However, the provision of advice and works in the surrounding region may continue.
Wild dog management zone work plan documents and maps
Individual wild dog management zone work plan documents and maps for each of the 15 wild dog management zones are linked below:
- Alexandra wild dog management zone
- Bonang, Bendoc, Tubbut and Deddick wild dog management zone
- Buchan and Gelantipy wild dog management zone
- Burrowye, Granya and Walwa wild dog management zone
- Corryong wild dog management zone
- Dargo and Bairnsdale wild dog management zone
- Gembrook, Noojee and Erica wild dog management zone
- Licola, Heyfield and Maffra wild dog management zone
- Mansfield wild dog management zone
- Mitta Mitta and Sandy Creek wild dog management zone
- Omeo, Swifts Creek and Benambra wild dog management zone
- Orbost and Cann River wild dog management zone
- Ovens wild dog management zone
- Tallangatta wild dog management zone
- Whitfield wild dog management zone
How you can contribute to future plans
Community meetings are held annually in March and April in Eastern Victoria. The discussions from these meetings help to inform how predation management takes place within each WDMZ on both private and public land and contributes to the development of this work plan.
You will have an opportunity to provide input into the 2025–2626 wild dog management zone work plans in March 2025.
Contact us
Contact the Vertebrate Species Management Program by emailing wild.dogs@deeca.vic.gov.au or contact your Senior DEECA Officer.
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