Joint media release: SA dog fence gets flood repair boost as project reaches major milestone

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister for Emergency Management, Senator the Hon Murray Watt
SA Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development and Minister for Forest Industries, the Hon Claire Scriven MLC

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Repairs to parts of the South Australian Dog Fence damaged during the 2022 Central and South Australian Floods will receive a $2.67 million funding boost through new disaster support, as the Dog Fence Rebuild project reaches the construction halfway point.

The flood support will be jointly funded by the Albanese and Malinauskas Governments through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), to help with the continuation of flood repairs on the fence and a coordinated weed and pest management program on Eyre Peninsula.

The original $25 million Dog Fence Rebuild project was launched in 2020, funded through the Federal Government ($10 million), State Government ($10 million) and the South Australian livestock industry ($5 million).

It will rebuild 1600kms of fencing and replace the more-than 100-year-old fence which had been degraded over time through a combination of weather, sand erosion and the impacts of kangaroos, emus, feral camels, and wild dogs. To date, 800kms of new fencing has been constructed.

During the January 2022 floods, 1000kms of the fence from Coober Pedy to Lake Frome was impacted, breaching the old fence in 67 sections. Urgent temporary repairs were undertaken to ensure it could be dog proof as quickly as possible, delaying the bigger rebuild project. 

Permanent repairs to nearly 7kms of the flood damaged fence were undertaken in 2022, with another 18kms of permanent repairs being undertaken this year.

In areas where the Dog Fence Rebuild has now been completed, the combination of the new fence work, along with the integration of other wild dog control methods such as baiting and trapping, have provided landholders with the confidence to restock sheep on their properties.

Eleven properties, covering 18,036 km2 have now restocked, including Mulyungarie Station, who now boast 20,000 sheep in paddocks for the first time in many years.

Due to be completed in June 2025, the project is estimated to deliver net benefits to the state between $56 million to $113 million over 20 years.

Weed and Pest Management

The DRFA funding will also be used for a coordinated weed and pest management program on the Eyre Peninsula.

The jointly funded $2 million program developed by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) in liaison with the Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board, will further assist in land management repair and pest control to flood affected areas in the region.

Flood waters transported seeds and plant fragments, depositing them in sediments to establish new populations of invasive weeds in waterways, erosion gullies and floodplains, providing pest animals including rabbits an opportunity to thrive through an abundance of fresh vegetation to feed on.

The two-year program will feature workshops and grant programs aimed at assisting landholders to improve their capability to identify and eradicate priority weed and pests along with funding for subsidised herbicides and equipment to enable targeted, high priority weed and pest animal control to be undertaken.

Quotes attributable to Murray Watt, Federal Minister for Emergency Management and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry:

The Albanese Government is very pleased to be able to support the Malinauskas Government in helping our farmers return to business as usual, following last year’s devastating flood event.

The Dog Fence is an iconic piece of infrastructure for South Australia, and I know that the repairs will help provide farmers with the peace of mind they need that their livestock will be protected from dingoes and other wild dogs. 

This project is a big undertaking and will be fantastic for South Australia. 

The pest and weed program for the Eyre Peninsula will also be extremely helpful in assisting local landowners to get back on their feet after the floods.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Clare Scriven:

I am very grateful that through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements we are not only able to keep the Dog Fence dog-proof to protect our sheep industry but also reduce the economic burden of weeds and pests on recovering landholders.

The flood recovery projects along with the significant Dog Fence Rebuild Project will ensure that pest management across the Far North and Eyre Peninsula will be well placed in years to come.

Although we are only at the half-way point of the Dog Fence Rebuild, we are already seeing the benefits the project is having on the pastoral regions and I am looking forward to seeing further positive outcomes in wild dog management as the project gets closer to completion.