Wild Dog Control
Wild Dog Trappers
Do you require the services of a wild dog trapper?
Flinders Shire Council is collaborating with three wild dog contractors to manage the feral dog population and minimise its impact on the local ecosystem.
Land managers are encouraged to make contact for the services of a wild dog trapper on their property; residents can express their interest in trappers at their property by contacting our Rural Lands Coordinator or Rural Lands Admin Officer.
The council recognises the importance of working together with residents to address wild dog issues. Reporting sightings and requesting trappers can create a safer environment for pets and wildlife in the Flinders Shire. The initiative also aims to educate the community on responsible pet ownership and the importance of keeping domestic dogs contained. Cooperation is crucial for the success of this program and for protecting the local ecosystem. Residents are encouraged to report any feral dog sightings promptly to ensure a swift response from the council.
If you would like more information, please get in touch with us at the Rural Lands Coordinator at 0428 412 306 |
(07) 4741 2900 or the Rural Lands Admin Officer at (07) 4741 2900 | rlao@flinders.qld.gov.au
Baiting Campaign
Flinders Shire Council organises two aerial and ground baits a year around April/May and October/November for all graziers in the Flinders Shire to participate in. A 1080 Baiting Flyer is sent out to all residents within the Shire stating the date, time and baiting venues for the next bait. Graziers are to supply their own meat cut into 250g pieces, the Rural Lands Officer will spray and roll the meat with 1080 at the designated baiting venues, and the Council supplies an aeroplane to fly the meat out, or graziers can choose to distribute the baits themselves. If graziers wish to supply meat for pig baits, they will be cut into 500g pieces, and the RLO will inject 1080. All meat is to be dried out prior to the baiting.
Council offers the opportunity to all graziers to bait anytime in the year. Please refer to the Council's Wild Dog Control Measures Policy for conditions regarding this.
Council offers a Wild Dog Scalp Bounty of $50 to anyone in the Shire who brings in a salted wild dog scalp. Scalps are to be bagged individually and delivered to the store's office at the Council Depot on Saleyards Road.
The baiting program will be conducted under the following principles:
- Landholders are to supply their own meat.
- Follow Up Ground Baiting by arrangement only.
- Please come prepared with appropriate meat size and quality, or the council will refuse to inject.
- Please be patient and prompt as we go through each individual, their paperwork, and the amount of meat they may bring for injection.
Council will inject meat baits with 1080 poison at the following designated venues, distributing them via plane or landowners who will transport baited meat to their properties:
Aerial Baiting
Hughenden Airstrip | Monday 7th October @ 6am |
Prairie Airstrip | Tuesday 8th October @ 6am |
Moorinya NP Airstrip | Tuesday 8th October @ 1pm |
Mt Emu Plains Aerodrome | Wednesday 9th October @ 6am |
Gregory Springs Airstrip | Wednesday 9th October @ 12pm |
Barenya Airstrip | Thursday 10th October @ 6am |
Ground Baiting
Hughenden Airstrip | Monday 7th October @ 6am |
Prairie Airstrip | Tuesday 8th October @ 6am |
Torrens Creek Airstrip | Tuesday 8th October @ 10am |
Moorinya NP Airstrip | Tuesday 8th October @ 1pm |
Mt Emu Plains Aerodrome | Wednesday 9th October @ 6am |
Gregory Springs Airstrip | Wednesday 9th October @ 12pm |
Barenya Airstrip | Thursday 10th October @ 6am |
Stamford Reserve Dam | Thursday 10th October @ 10am |
Refer to FSC Wild Dog Control Measures Policy
For further information, please contact Council’s Rural Lands team:
BILLY PAINE - RURAL LANDS COORDINATOR (FSC)
MOBILE - 0428 412 306 PHONE - (07) 47412900
Policies and Levy
In 2006 Council adopted the Wild Dog Control Measures Policy after the Wild Dog Levy was introduced. The Special Rate is levied on rural properties classified as Category 3 being all land within the Shire which the Valuer-General has identified as Rural Land. The Council is of the opinion that all rural properties will derive a benefit from the Wild Dog Levy. The rate is levied on the basis of a rate in the dollar on the Unimproved Capital Value of each property. The Special Rate will be utilised for the control of wild dogs on rural properties throughout the Shire and will partly fund the costs of undertaking co-ordinated baitings including the Admin Technical Officer's time, plant and equipment, aeroplane hire and payment of bounties.
Regional Wild Dog Advisory Group
The Flinders Shire Council has helped form a Wild Dog Advisory Group that consists of a Councillor, State Government Department staff and rural property owners. The Wild Dog Advisory Group will provide advice to Council and help coordinate control measures throughout the Shire. Four meetings are held a year in the months February, May, August & November, with one meeting a year being open to all graziers in the Shire. Minutes are taken and distributed to committee members prior to the next meeting.
Meetings are held to discuss the following topics:
- Future / prior baiting campaign and statistics
- Council's Wild Dog Scalp Bounty (currently at $50)
- Various Control Methods
- Available funding
- Research updates
- Investigations/discussion of ways to improve Council's Wild Dog Control Programme
- Council's Wild Dog Control Measures Policy
The Advisory Group is currently working with Greg Mifsud the National Wild Dog Facilitator based in Toowoomba and Brett Carlsson, Wild Dog Coordinator for Agforce Queensland to gather as much information as possible on wild dog activity within the Shire through consultation with landholders which will then be utilised to develop a strategic management plan for the Shire. The plan will review the current wild dog control programme and using the information provided by graziers will look to incorporate a range of best practice methods for wild dog control in order to minimise impacts on livestock production within the Shire.
The type of information being gathered from graziers includes where stock attacks have historically occurred and where they are occurring now, wild dog movement corridors, wild dog breeding sites and where and what type of control was used in the past and being used now to manage wild dogs. The information gathered has been incorporated onto maps in order to get a better picture of the wild dog issue in relation to current control.
The Wild Dog Advisory Group is aware that the impacts of wild dogs, effect all residents in the Shire and is a whole community issue. The loss in production through wild dog attacks affects the prosperity of the Shire and this has many downstream impacts on things such as employment and the economy. Council and the Wild Dog Advisory Group are working together to minimise the impacts of wild dogs on landholders in the Shire, however we require landholders participation and assistance to achieve this goal. The development of a strategic management plan for the control of wild dogs is seen as a way forward on this issue and we strongly urge all landholders in Flinders Shire to participate in Council's Baiting Campaign to control wild dogs in the Shire.