Round Five of the Queensland Government’s Feral Pest Initiative is on track to deliver more than 1500 kilometres of cluster fencing by the end of the year.

File image of exclusion fencing in western Queensland. Source: Waratah Fencing.

Five western Queensland regional councils, the Remote Area Planning Development Board (RAPAD) and land managers have been working together to construct the fencing in areas of high wild dog density to protect grazing country from wild dogs and feral pests.

The cluster fences are expected to deliver substantial economic and environmental benefits, helping western Queensland’s livestock industry to control feral pest populations and boost regional employment, Queensland Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, and Minister for Rural Communities, Mark Furner, said.

“Through the Queensland Feral Pest Initiative, the Miles Government has now committed almost $30 million to regional communities across the state for the construction of cluster fencing in areas with high wild dog populations.

“A recent milestone includes the completion of a 115.5 km fence in prime sheep grazing country north-east of Cunnamulla, covering 80,000 hectares of grazing land.

“A further 29,500 hectares across both the Murweh and Paroo Shire Councils is also protected with the completion of 95km of predator-proof fencing.

Nardoo cluster members Simon and Caroline Booth said they are feeling positive about rangeland grazing within Paroo Shire now that the Nardoo fence is complete and group members are actively removing feral pests contained within the cluster.

“We have fenced in a few dogs during the construction phase and being sheep producers, we are keen to clean up the remaining pests and get more lambs on the ground,” they said.

Source: Qld Government