NSW Upper House MP Mark Pearson has condemned the actions of MidCoast Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service to cull five dingoes in the Tea Gardens/ Hawks Nest area.
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Earlier this year, council received reports of increased aggression from the dingoes, which were involved in at least five incidents with people and domestic pets while defending their territory.
Council called on the public to stop approaching or feeding the animals as their behaviour became dangerous.
In a member's statement to the Legislative Council chamber on May 5, Mr Pearson, an Animal Justice Party member, said the dingoes shouldn't have been killed because of human error.
Dingoes should not be punished with death for the mistakes humans are making
- Mark Pearson, Upper House MP
"Our misunderstanding is fatal for dingoes," Mr Pearson stated.
"People are moving further into dingo habitat, foolishly trying to interact with them, and then blaming them when they show aggression while defending themselves and their pups - a crime apparently punishable by death.
"Dingoes should not be punished with death for the mistakes humans are making."
In a statement to the Great Lakes Advocate, MidCoast Council senior ecologist Mat Bell said dingo conservation and public safety is a complex management issue.
"In order to assist responsible dingo conservation in Hawks Nest and Seal Rocks whilst recognising and managing the known risks of dingoes to our community, MidCoast Council had adopted a dingo management procedure," Mr Bell said.
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"This procedure sought to intervene to control identified dingoes when certain unacceptable behaviour thresholds were crossed. Feeding and habituation has been known to cause some dingoes to lose their inherent fear and become potentially aggressive to vulnerable people in our community, including small children."
The model was based on the program used on Fraser Island.
Mr Bell said council was very disappointed control had to be taken but it was required for community safety.
In the months since, council launched a series of active programs to create safe dingo and human interactions in the future. The measures will also help avoid the need for lethal controls.
Council has funded a program using experts from Taronga Zoo and the University of NSW to learn more about dingoes in the Mid Coast region.
"This will involve genetic and population studies, monitoring and tracking and behavioural studies of local dingoes and their interactions with the community," Mr Bell said.
"Council has also installed many signs throughout public spaces advising that feeding dingoes is not acceptable or kind and could result in the demise of these animals. We have worked closely with caravan park operators to circulate the "no-feed" message."
Mr Pearson agreed people need to learn more about dingoes and how to appropriately interact with them.
"To do this we need to address the myth that dingoes are vicious attackers," Mr Pearson said.
Feeding and habituation has been known to cause some dingoes to lose their inherent fear and become potentially aggressive to vulnerable people in our community, including small children.
- Mat Bell, MidCoast Council senior ecologist
He also claimed dingoes lack protection in NSW from baiting, trapping and hunting.
Mr Bell reiterated MidCoast Council has no role in the state-wide statutory framework of dingo management, which is the responsibility of the NSW government.
Council established and continues to monitor a community sightings report hotline and is working with National Parks and Wildlife Service to ensure consistent messaging.
Rangers have followed up on reports of residents and visitors feeding dingoes and are investigating how to better manage local refuse sites.
"We agree that dingoes in the area tend to be naturally wary and exhibit appropriate behaviours around people and their pets unless they are fed or habituated," Mr Bell added.
"As such, our emphasis now is to prevent that habituation and "loss-of-fear" process in dingoes. In this way, we believe that the community and dingoes can safely share space in the environment. Our work with species experts will hopefully assist devise non-lethal control options where there are signs of increasing risk in individual dingoes."
Mr Bell said council acknowledged the advice of academics and researchers that dingoes in Myall Lakes National Park and surrounds, including Hawks Nest, are genetically-intact and of conservation value.
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