Vic Gov ignore wishes and lore of Traditional Custodians and advice of scientists about killing dingoes

The Biodiversity Council is deeply disappointed by the decision of the Victorian Allan Government to continue to allow the killing of dingoes in Victoria against the wishes and lore of Traditional Custodians and evidence provided of scientists.

Dingoes are a native species of great cultural importance to Victorian Traditional Custodians, who know the species by a variety of names, such as Yirrangan for Taungurung People and Wilkerr for Wotjobaluk People.

Late Tuesday the Victorian Allan Government announced the continuation of a policy that will allow dingoes to be killed in northeast and eastern Victoria until Jan 1, 2028.

The controversial Unprotection Order allows dingoes to be killed on private land and along the boundaries of public land by ‘unprotecting’ them from the usual protections that native species are entitled to.

Taungurung Traditional Custodian Matthew Shanks, the Taungurung Land and Waters Council (TLaWC) Executive Manager of Biocultural Landscapes and Biodiversity Council member said:

“We are deeply concerned by the extension of the Dingo Unprotection Order that supports the proactive killing of Yirrangan on Country.

“Taungurung people and Yirrangan share the same historical story, driven from Country, managed and at times murdered according to colonial views.

“Yirrangan are vital to the health and future of Taungurung Country. The Unprotection Order disregards Taungurung lore and our obligations as Taungurung people to care for Country for the benefit of all people.

“Yirrangan are important to maintain balance on Country through their role as an apex predator and cultural entity, providing overall management of other plant and animal species across landscapes.”

Biodiversity Council Co-chief Councillor Yuin man Dr Jack Pascoe from The University of Melbourne said:

“It is disappointing that the Allan Government will continue the unprotection order of dingoes, against the wishes of Victorian Traditional Custodians for whom the dingo is culturally significant, and against the advice of scientists and reports including the Parliamentary Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline.”

Biodiversity Council member Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Euan Ritchie from Deakin University said:

“Population and genetic data, collected by government and multiple independent scientists, suggests dingoes have declined across Victoria and they are losing genetic diversity. This puts dingoes on a path towards possible extinction in Victoria.

“To not only continue, but geographically expand the Unprotection Order—the killing of dingoes—in Eastern Victoria, is extremely disappointing, and hard to reconcile given the concerns expressed by First Nations peoples and data presented by scientists.

“Dingoes do pose a risk to livestock, but they also have significant cultural values, and ecological importance, such as reducing numbers of kangaroos and feral goats.

“Importantly, greatly increased investment in strategic fencing and supporting the purchase and training of guardian dogs and donkeys, could allow dingoes to persist in the landscape while also protecting livestock.

“Today’s decision to maintain the Unprotection Order risks driving dingo populations to extinction.”

The Biodiversity Council is an independent group founded by 11 Australian universities and draws together experts from environmental science, Indigenous knowledge, economics, law, and social science to promote evidence-based solutions to Australia’s nature loss crisis.