An ecological expert believes there is merit to reintroducing dingoes to the Gariwerd (Grampians) National Park in Victoria's west as part of improved management of native and pest animals.
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A belief echoed by Upper House MP Andy Meddick, who said dingoes could reduce the reliance on poisons.
Deakin University Associate Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Euan Ritchie said the apex predator could hunt feral goats and deer, as well as the booming kangaroo population.
"There's a large macropod population; western grey kangaroos, eastern grey kangaroos, as well as red neck and swamp wallabies," Prof Richie said.
"There are feral goats in some parts and a very healthy deer population which is a big problem for the national parks."
The Animal Justice Party MP said the use of dingoes could solve "a lot of problems" and agreed discussion between farmers and advocates is paramount.
The reintroduction of dingoes was highlighted in the Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline in Victoria.
However, Parks Victoria removed the immediate reintroduction of dingoes to the Grampians from the final Greater Gariwerd Landscape Management Plan.
Associate Professor Ritchie said the proposal was feasible for the area.
"This was put forward as a proposal to potentially reintroduce dingoes to the Gariward landscape," he said.
"There are the issues with livestock if this was to go ahead, there would need to be procedures in place that would minimise the impact on sheep grazing and anyone who has livestock and this can be done with livestock protection dogs, donkeys and fencing.
"It hasn't gone very far yet, I don't know how likely it is to go ahead in the short term.
"There is no shortage of prey. There is a question of dingoes moving on and off the national park and into the surrounding agricultural land.
"Theoretically speaking, dingoes could exist in that landscape but those risks associated would have to be managed."
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Mr Ritchie said it wouldn't be the first place he would recommend to try the theory Victoria but it has ecological possibility.
"We do have big problems in the Grampians landscape with a large macropod population, as well as the deer and in some cases the feral goats as well," he said.
"There has been some control of some of those species in some areas, but that's very hard to do consistently through time, particularly given the landscape of the Grampians is quite forested and a complex, mountainous area.
"It is really hard to control those animals over a large area, and the idea would be that bringing a top predator back might help reduce the number of some of those herbivores and if that's the case that would have a flow-on effect to vegetation and species that depend on that vegetation.
"There is merit in it. The reason we do these reintroduction in part is to learn about the role of these large native predators."
Western Member for Victorian Legislative Council Mr Meddick said the reintroduction of dingoes has worked in other parts of Australia.
"In Mount Rockwell, where they are confined area, they got rid of all the introduced species," he said.
"There are no cats, no other wild dogs. There's go goats (and) weeds are eradicated.
"They naturally keep kangaroo numbers down. You're solving a lot of problems.
"This is a conversation that First Nations people are going to have with farmers and more communication is fantastic...this is about restoring our native environment to what it should be but allowing for farmers to continue practicing."
Another recommendation of the inquiry was to look at phasing out the use of 1080 baits to control invasive species.
Mr Meddick said alternative measures are possible with the dingo reintroduction.
"Bringing in dingoes to that area would also see them stop using 1080 poison in that area," he said.
It was previously reported that farmers have labelled the move as 'stupid', and some have launched a petition.
This inquiry was tabled on December 2, 2021.
The Victorian Government is required to respond within six months of the report being tabled.