PREDATION by wild dogs including dingoes, feral dogs and their hybrids is seriously damaging state and regional economies to the tunes of many millions of dollars and if left unchecked could see the demise of rangeland grazing systems.
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A National Wild Dog Action Plan Exposure Draft will draw on findings from state and regional projects aimed at wild dogs around the country and will establish Australia's first nationally co-ordinated approach to wild dogs.
Wild dog incursions are severely affecting the sheep, cattle and goat industries as they close in on the periphery of towns and cities, cross-breeding with domesticated dogs.
WoolProducers Australia president Geoff Power said the plan would guide the implementation of a nationally-agreed framework focusing on a strategic and risk-based approach to wild dog management.
"It will have an emphasis on humane, safe and effective management techniques and the mitigation of the impacts of wild dogs at appropriate scales," Mr Power said.
"The stakeholders involved hope the final plan can be used as a model for action against other pests, such as foxes, pigs and rabbits - all of which cause devastating damage to conservation and production."
Australian Bureau of Statistics data show since 1990, the number of sheep shorn in Queensland has crashed 92 per cent, from over 21 million to less than 2 million head.
Many graziers are getting out of sheep because of the impact or threat from wild dogs.
The Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association estimates the cost of wild dog attacks in 2011-12 to be in the vicinity of $80 million. NSW estimates losses at $50 million a year.
A public consultation period will run until October 2.
The exposure draft materials will be available for review and comment on the WoolProducers Australia website.