Thursday, 24 September 2026

 Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (12:16): (1504) My question is for the Minister for Environment. Last year’s Abundance of Dingoes in Victoria report was released today. This report looks at current dingo population estimates based on statewide camera trap surveys completed across public land between 2021 and 2025. It found the wilkerr dingoes of the Big Desert had an estimate of 122 in 2025, reconfirming their risk of extinction. In March 2024 the government endorsed three more years of the order in council that allows dingoes to be killed in some of the cruellest of ways. The government has one month left to truly protect our native dingoes. The Liberals and the Nationals have made it clear that they plan to reinstate killing everywhere in the state. When will a decision be made on whether the order in council that serves as an eradication program for this misunderstood native species is going to be renewed or not?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for Environment, Minister for Climate Action, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (12:17): Thank you, Ms Purcell, for your question. I am happy to provide you some advice that I have in relation to dingoes. You have talked about the release of the report in relation to numbers. Importantly, these numbers confirm that the dingo population in north-west Victoria remains at risk of extinction. In eastern Victoria the estimated population is much larger. I know you are familiar with these stats. In relation to the unprotection order and the timing, on 1 October 2024 a new dingo unprotection order came into effect. The order continues to permit the control of dingoes on private and public land in eastern Victoria until 1 July 2028. The unprotection order was discontinued in north-west Victoria, where dingoes are now protected on public and private land as the dingo population is at risk of extinction, which as you are aware was confirmed in the data in the report. The current dingo unprotection order remains in place until 1 January 2028 in eastern Victoria, as we said. It permits control just in that area. We will of course continue to balance conservation needs with needs for farmers to protect livestock, informed by monitoring evidence and engagement with stakeholders and experts. So the work continues.

 Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (12:18): Thank you, Minister. The Barengi Gadjin Land Council strongly advocates for the protection of the wilkerr dingo populations, with the people of the Wotjobaluk nations having strong cultural and spiritual connections to the populations for thousands of years. In a statement, they have warned:

Don’t wait until it is too late and they disappear through your neglect.

Of course, you have just touched on the ways in which this has been acknowledged by removing lethal control on public land in the north-west region and providing funding for some nonlethal options. But the numbers in this report show that by the time the government properly acts on wilkerr dingoes specifically, they could actually be extinct. What is the government’s plan to conserve and strengthen the genetics of the wilkerr dingo population into the future?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for Environment, Minister for Climate Action, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (12:19): I thank Ms Purcell for her supplementary question specifically in relation to the wilkerr dingo. We are taking a precautionary approach to protecting the north-west dingo population. It remains at risk of extinction. People are acutely aware of that. As I said, dingoes are now protected on both public and private land in north-west Victoria. In relation to other matters, the conservation regulator will only consider lethal control through an authority to control wildlife in extraordinary circumstances, such as human safety concerns or extreme and escalating livestock impacts where all nonlethal measures have been exhausted. We are also investing in ongoing monitoring. The dingo unprotection order support package funded the design of a statewide dingo-monitoring program. DEECA has allocated funding from the 26 January bushfire recovery support package for additional camera surveys in the Big Desert and Wyperfeld National Park later in 2026, so results in relation to that are due next year. The latest Arthur Rylah Institute report reinforces why the protection is important. 122 dingoes is the estimate – (Time expired)

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:20): I move, by leave:

That I provide a ministers statement regarding the important lived-experience child protection ministerial youth advisory group, who we are privileged to have in the gallery with us today.

Leave refused.