Decision on whether to reintoduce dingoes to The Grampians imminent

The Greater Gariwerd Draft Landscape Management Plan was put out for community consultation earlier this year.

A Parks Victoria spokesman said the plan was being finalised and would be released before the end of the year.

"We've heard lots of feedback about the draft proposal to research the potential reintroduction of culturally significant animals to the Gariwerd landscape as summarised in the engagement report published earlier this year," the spokesman said.

Southern Grampians Shire mayor Bruach Colliton wrote to the Minister for Agriculture about the draft proposal after the council passed a motion opposing the reintroduction of dingoes to The Grampians.

"Whilst sensitive and supportive of recognising Indigenous history and culture, Southern Grampians Shire Council is concerned that a proposed release of current dingo species into a vast landscape in the heart of livestock farming will become a major animal welfare issue which will affect our livestock," Cr Colliton said.

In its engagement report, Parks Victoria reveals that some respondents supported the reintroduction of dingoes, but most did not.

"Many people, particularly local neighbours and farmers were concerned that dingoes would leave the park and hunt on neighbouring properties putting their livestock in danger," the report states.

A number of people expressed safety concerns about camping in the park if dingoes were present.

"Although I respect that dingoes were previously a part of the ecosystem, I would be concerned about reintroducing them in this area. I personally would not visit if I knew that dingoes are in the area," one respondent wrote.

Member for Western Victoria Bev McArthur spoke about the draft plan in parliament recently.

"This idea is so ludicrous, that when it was first floated locals didn't take it seriously - they simply didn't believe it was for real," Mrs McArthur said.

"Unfortunately, they now know how crazy and contemptuous it is, so much so that 4000 people have signed a petition to stop it happening," Mrs McArthur said.

She said tens of millions of dollars were spent in other grazing areas in Australia attempting to stop the damage that dingoes and wild dogs cause to farming.

Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Minister for Agriculture Peter Walsh also spoke out about the proposal.

"Wild dogs are a blight on our parks landscape, mauling livestock and native fauna to death or leaving injuries so traumatic the animal can't recover," Mr Walsh said this week.