A dingo-proof fence is set to be erected around Fraser Island’s biggest township in an effort to protect visitors from the island’s native dingo population.
Key points:
- There have been two reported dingo attacks on children on Fraser Island so far this year
- The fence will span nearly 7km at a cost of $2 million
- Conservationists warn fencing can disrupt animals’ migration patterns and could threaten their survival
It comes amid increasing community concerns about interactions between dingoes and tourists, that last month saw a toddler airlifted to hospital after being attacked.
The fence, spanning nearly 7km, will be erected around Orchid Beach and will cost the Queensland government an estimated $2 million.
The new barrier will add to fencing already installed around 24 campgrounds and other major townships, such as Eurong, Happy Valley and Kingfisher Bay Resort.
Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon said there had been three reported incidents involving dingoes so far this year.
“Our rangers believe [dingoes] no longer show apprehension when approaching humans because they’ve either been deliberately fed or eaten food scraps,” she said.
Fencing and grates at the Eurong township on Fraser Island are charged with electricity to keep dingoes out.(ABC News: Kerrin Binnie
)
“We know we’ve got hundreds of dingoes on the island, this is their habitat.
“We want to make sure it’s safe for them but also safe for residents that’s why we’re working on finding ways and solutions so everyone can live on the island safely.
“We’ll be working with the Butchulla Aboriginal People to work on the design of that fencing it is 7km so it is significant area.”
Conservationists call for ‘great caution’
The fence has drawn criticism from the Australian Wildlife Protection Council President Peter Hyland, who urged the Queensland government to be cautious and consider alternatives where possible.
Mr Hyland said changing a species’ natural habitat had far-reaching consequences.
Conservationists have warned additional fencing could threaten the survival of dingo populations. (ABC News: Kerrin Binnie
)
“Animals are obviously used to living in a particular place or migrating across a region, and I think Queensland has been particularly bad with the idea of exclusion fencing,” he said.
“The government funding of that is pretty appalling, in my view.
“Animals caught within the fences are typically killed or they die of thirst.
“If that doesn’t happen they lose their ability to migrate across the landscape, so that has all sorts of genetic implications and it fragments wildlife populations to the point where it becomes difficult for them to survive.”
Mr Hyland said Queensland had a “poor record” when it came to wildlife conservation.
“I think there’s a general crisis in Australian wildlife going on and it’s the way governments think about wildlife in Australia,” he said.
“There’s already quite a lot of dingo fencing so these things need to be dealt with, with great caution and thought.
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“Is this the last fence on Fraser Island? Or is it going to be one of a number of new fences?”
Mr Hyland said additional fencing would not just impact dingoes, but other animals as well.
“Of course it’s not only dingoes, it’s all the other species that are co-inhabiting on the island,” he said.
“We’ve gone through a pretty terrible time on Fraser Island, particularly with the fires and how all these changes interact with each other, including the impacts of climate change need to be carefully considered.”