SA's wild dog fence rateable area has officially expanded and the rates for newly-included landholders have been ticked off by Primary Industries Minister David Basham.
The rateable area will not extend beyond the River Murray, but will expand by two Hundreds to the south to include all Hundreds within 150 kilometres of the fence, bringing in $350,000 of additional revenue for the fence rebuild and replacement.
Roughly 600 landowners with more than 10 square km in the expanded area will pay $1.70/sqkm or a minimum rate of $245 a year.
About 98 per cent of newly-included landowners are expected to be on the minimum rate, while landowners in the existing rateable area will continue to pay $2/sqkm or a minimum rate of $475.
The SA Dog Fence Board released its consultation summary this week, after carrying out six weeks of public consultation this year.
SA Dog Fence Board chair Geoff Power said most people were happy to see an expanded rateable area introduced, but some suggested it could be expanded to include the entire state.
The board acknowledged that many stakeholders, in informal conversations, had voiced their support for applying statewide rates or rates for all Property Identification Holders, but were left satisfied when informed of the wider industry's contributions made through the Sheep Industry Fund.
Mr Power said any future expansion of the rateable area would most likely be determined by any changes to wild dog predation areas.
Roughly 355km of the dog fence rebuild has been completed, according to Mr Power, with a further 392km under construction and earthworks being carried on out on another 290km.
"We're just ending the second year of the five-year project and I'd say by the end of the third year we'll have well over 1000km completed," he said.
"We've faced challenges including rain, supply of materials, wharf strikes - so taking all that into consideration - I think it's progressing quite well.
"With this fence, and our strategic aerial and ground baiting programs and trapper programs, I think we've made a difference, but I do conceded that drought has also helped."
Mr Power said while dogs were still causing some problems within the fence, he believed the programs and fence had made a dent on their numbers.
"We've got pastoralist putting sheep back in areas they haven't been able to run them for some years," he said.
"It's not the time to take our foot off the pedal though - we've got to keep working and not become complacent."
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