2019-20 state budget: SA dog fence funding confirmed

Treasurer Rob Lucas said the government was allocating $10 million to the project, to add to $10m from the federal government and $5m from industry.

But Mr Lucas was unable to give a definitive timeframe as to when the project would start.

"We still have to negotiate a formal structure of collecting the $5m from industry to help fund the project before scoping works can occur," he said.

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Australia's 5400km national dog fence is the largest continuous fence in the world, protecting livestock from wild dog and dingo attacks.

SA's component of the fence is about 2150km, with the 1600km being more than 100 years old.

This section was "becoming increasingly less effective at protecting the livestock industries that are vital to the economic prosperity of our regions", Mr Lucas said.

"The government will work cooperatively with the federal government and industry to finalise an agreement to proceed with this important initiative."

At the state budget lock-in today, Mr Lucas also confirmed that the state's dog trappers would continue to be funded.

"The dog fence will take a long time to construct, a few years, so whether at the end of that we still need the trappers, we will have to make judgement then," he said.

"If we have a successful fence and there is no dogs getting through, well then there may be not enough argument for them."

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