TWO amendments to the Dog Fence Act 1946 have been proposed by the Dog Fence Board to address administrative changes and adjust financial caps to reflect inflationary impacts since it was last amended in 2005.
Board member James Irwin, Burra, said the changes were "nothing unusual".
"We have to do this about every 10 years to keep in line with rising costs," he said.
The first change proposes to increase the maximum payable to each owner of part of the Dog Fence, to an amount not exceeding $400 in each financial year per kilometre of fence.
Mr Irwin said the increase allows for annual increments based on the Consumer Price Index over 10 years.
The act sets a cap of $250 each financial year for each kilometre of fence on the amount that can be paid to owners of the Dog Fence, as set out in section 24(1).
Payments are made annually to two private owners and six local dog fence boards.
The board has identified that the current maximum payment does not reflect labour and operating costs.
The second amendment refers to section 25(3) and proposed to increase the maximum rate that can be levied on rateable land to a rate not exceeding $2/km, also allowing for inflationary increments based on CPI over 10 years.
A discussion paper on the amendments stated that in recent years, the board has generally sought increments below the rate of inflation in recognition of the financial pressures on many pastoralists.
In general, rates will be increased by the CPI, which is estimated at 3.5 per cent per annum.
Carla Wiese-Smith
Editor of SmartFarmer magazine.
Editor of SmartFarmer magazine.
