In a district where 20 years ago every farm ran sheep, farmers in the Buchan Gelantipy district are feeling let down by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) with the news their casual local wild dog controller will be let go, leaving just one in the massive district.
The local dog trapper was given the news recently his position would finish on June 30 and local farmers say he was given the responsibility to let them know the news.
Some pressure from farmers and questions from media outlets meant the dog trapper was told his position would run until October, a short repreive.
“We wouldn’t be here farming if it weren’t for our sheep enterprise,” Alfred Hackett said.
He and his partner Amy Rogers run sheep and cattle at Butchers Ridge and Gelantipy.
“For us, sheep are a lot more profitable than than cattle,” Amy said.
They said there was one dog trapper that covered from Buchan to Tostaree and Wairewa, while the other casual dog trapper worked from Murrindal to Suggan Buggan, and was only allowed to trap within three kilometres of the boundary fences into the bush.
“The actual workload that one trapper would have is unrealistic and unfeasible,” Alfred said.
“It’s not just the wild dog attacks, that will lead to people going out of sheep.
“That then affects other industries like rouseabouts and shearers, as well as transporters.”
“It’s tough enough making a living as it is,” Amy said.
“It’s hard to keep sheep a profitable enterprise if you can’t keep them alive from wild dogs.”
