Victoria Valley wool growers John and Rhonda Crawford represent 4000 people opposing a dingo trial in the Grampians National Park.
A NEW petition opposing the re-introduction of dingoes across Victoria has been launched by a south-west Victorian wool-growing family.
The Crawford family at Victoria Valley has launched the petition on Change.org in an effort to swing public opinion against proposals to re-introduce dingoes across the state.
The Victorian Parliament’s Environment & Planning Committee report ‘Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline in Victoria’ has recommended a trial reintroduction of dingoes, the phasing out of 1080 baiting and the suspension of kangaroo harvesting.
The Crawford family recently organised a petition of 4300 people opposing proposals to reintroduce dingoes in the Grampians National Park as part of the Greater Gariwerd Landscape Management Plan.
The sheep breeders believe dingoes would cause devastation to the state’s million-dollar livestock and wool industry, threaten smaller native animals and be a threat to tourists that visit parks.
Mr Crawford believed supporters of the reintroduction would act on the committee’s recommendation in Victoria’s Parliament next month, and he was concerned they would also move to protect wild dogs – dingo-dog hybrids.
“Are they going to protect wild dogs too?”
Mr Crawford said he was also looking to organise a network of sheep producers across the state to canvass support for the petition.
“We are ringing people in every pocket of Victoria into Gippsland across to the South Australian border and up into the Mallee taking petitions to saleyards, alerting their local papers and television stations exactly what this government is up to.
“It is dangerous legislation.”
Mr Crawford said although the first petition had helped stop plans to reintroduce dingoes into the Grampians, he is concerned about the “(MP) numbers in parliament” and opposing statewide legislation might be a “tough gig.”
“I think it is going to be pretty tough going unless we can put a big enough campaign together.
“So we are ready to come out hard,” he said.
“It’s war, we are going to give it to them with both barrels as much as we can.”
A search of Change.org shows there are several petitions in support of dingoes and opposing the use of 1080 to control wild dogs.
Why is it that ‘farmers’ cannot actually live with nature: ie plant indigenous species and trees for indigenous creature diversity and thus cease to starve dingoes? Why do most farmers have no shade for their dams or animals? Is killing just a way of life?
What a ridiculous petition. No-one has proposed introducing “Hybrids or ‘wild dogs’.. What has been proposed and highly recommended by a select panel hearing on ecosystems decline in Victoria was to re-introduce dingoes to areas where they have previously existed and would provide massive benefits in ecosystem recovery.
If anyone on here is actually interested in the real story and issues, read this.
https://www.facebook.com/104760981448643/posts/384129450178460/
I am from lower western NSW. We are constantly getting wild dogs coming from holes in the dog fence. Our annual costs are phenomenal. We have been waiting for intrusions from the Victorian parks along the Murray as dogs are present there. The head ranger stops fox cullers from killing the wild dogs. A poor system in Victoria with a senseless outlook. The bureaucracy doesn’t value agriculture nor its input to coffers.
NSW has been managing dingoes and ‘wild dogs’ with lethal control methods for two centuries. Thank you for highlighting how ineffective this management strategy has been.