An additional $2.67 million in funding has been allocated to repair parts of the South Australian Dog Fence damaged during the 2022 Central and South Australian Floods.
The funding comes as the Dog Fence Rebuild project reaches the construction halfway point.
The flood support will be jointly funded by the federal and state governments through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, to help with the continuation of flood repairs on the fence and a coordinated weed and pest management program on Eyre Peninsula.
The original $25m Dog Fence Rebuild project was launched in 2020, jointly funded through the federal government ($10m), state government ($10m) and the SA livestock industry ($5m).
Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven said she was grateful that through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements the state government were not only able to keep the Dog Fence dog-proof to protect SA's sheep industry, but also reduce the economic burden of weeds and pests on recovering EP 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," she said.
"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."
The additional funding will rebuild 1600 kilometres 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.
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Permanent repairs to nearly seven kilometres 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.
Mulyungarie Station manager Dean Lovis-Hotchin said The Mutooroo Pastroal Company volunteered the government a new line for the dog fence which would save in labour and material costs.
"The new fence is close to 120kms which is about 70km shorter than the original line," he said.
"The biggest factor is probably long term maintenance of it because where the old fence went there were 40 or 50 sand sills and sand hills create a lot of ongoing maintenance because the sand is always moving, building up and then blowing out all at the same time.
"The new fence has meant we can run less cattle and stock more sheep on the property.
"We are still building our numbers back up from the 2018 drought but we have about 13,500 at the moment.
"It makes the world of difference as far as controlling wild dogs, I've been able to carry another 6000 sheep because of the new fence which has gone up."
Due to be completed in June 2025, the project is estimated to deliver net benefits to the state between $56m to $113m over 20 years.
The DRFA funding will also be used for a coordinated weed and pest management program on the Eyre Peninsula.
The jointly funded $2m program developed by 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.
Federal Agricultural Minister Murray Watt said the federal government were very pleased to be able to support the state government in helping farmers return to business as usual, following last year's devastating flood event.
"The Dog Fence is an iconic piece of infrastructure for SA, 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," he said.
"This project is a big undertaking and will be fantastic for SA.
"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."
Kiara Stacey
Journalist for Stock Journal. Kiara was in classified sales at Stock Journal before joining the editorial team in 2021. Kiara completed a Bachelor of Communication (journalism) at Deakin University the year prior.
Journalist for Stock Journal. Kiara was in classified sales at Stock Journal before joining the editorial team in 2021. Kiara completed a Bachelor of Communication (journalism) at Deakin University the year prior.
