Lengthy delays in fixing huge gap in wild dog fence ‘defy comprehension’

A Far West New South Wales grazier says a “lack of effective communication” is to blame for lengthy delays in closing a 32-kilometre gap in the wild dog fence, also known as the dingo fence.

Warning: This story contains an image and references that some readers may find distressing.

The large gap is about 110km north-west of Broken Hill, and there has been a four-year delay since works to fix the issue were announced in 2019.

Stretching more than 5,600km, the dog fence acts as the world’s longest environmental barrier to inhibit wild dogs from entering sheep-grazing country.

Mulga Valley Station grazier Paul Martin has seen firsthand the damage that can be caused by wild dogs on his remote property 100km north-west of Broken Hill.

“You see an animal standing with its throat torn out, still alive, bleeding out slowly … this is not some sort of joke that can be tossed around lightly,” Mr Martin said.

Last week, a select group of community members from Broken Hill and surrounds were invited to a round table discussion to address key concerns in the area.

Minister for Agriculture, Western NSW, and Regional NSW Tara Moriarty attended the meetings where the dog fence gap was raised as a priority concern.

Ms Moriarty addressed the problem of delays, saying works were underway.

“There are holes being dug in the ground and parts of the fence being installed right now,” she said.

“We will deliver to the pastoralists and graziers of western NSW to make sure their stock is protected.”

The 32km gap begins at Mr Martin’s property, and despite Ms Moriarty’s assurances that work had started, the grazier said there were “no workers out there”.

“We live on it, we are out there every day, and work hasn’t begun,” he said.

Mr Martin raised concerns about the minister’s information, calling it an “inaccuracy of reporting between different lines of communication and department heads”.

“What alarmed me the most was the fact that she [Ms Moriarty] has been advised that work has commenced on the dog fence,” he said.

“It just defies comprehension.

“I am here to tell everyone — work has not commenced on the dog fence.”

While cultural heritage and biodiversity surveys along the proposed fence line have been completed, the delays for the actual erection of the fence continue to be stalled, with no definitive date in sight.

“I’ll be mindful of the hot weather over the summer, but we’ll continue the work to get it done as soon as possible,” Ms Moriarty said.

The ABC understands that since the minister was in Broken Hill, her office has reached out to Mr Martin to propose an online meeting to discuss a way forward to completing work on the 32km gap in the dog fence.