PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Mr BIRRELL (Nicholls) (12:07): I rise to support the motion moved by the member for Gippsland. There is a lack of commitment by the Albanese government to the management of wild dogs. I appreciate the member for Forde giving us his experience, and, on behalf of the constituents and the farmers that I represent, I will appreciate the member for Forde advocating for the $250,000 a year that the industry is seeking.
Mr Pasin: He's just said how important it is! Mr BIRRELL: He said how important it is, and I look forward to him going and advocating that to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Wild dog predation costs Australian livestock producers an estimated $302 million every year in production losses.
I have been a livestock producer in my life, and I saw what wild dogs did to the livestock I was caring for. It's a very distressing thing—a very distressing thing. It's not just financial.
People become emotionally attached to their livestock. Farmers cannot tackle this problem alone. Wild dogs are continually moving across neighbouring land, national parks or Crown land.
They don't stop at state borders, they don't stop at the boundary of a national park and they certainly don't stop at the boundary of a farmer's property. Wild dogs are one part of a much bigger invasive species challenge facing Australian agriculture. Feral pigs are another example of the same pattern—animals moving through national parks and Crown land and onto productive farmland.
It's the same with wild dogs; individual farmers are left to shoulder the cost of a problem that crosses land tenure and state boundaries. The New South Wales coalition's $300 million biosecurity and feral animal package responds to this problem with a feral-pig bounty trial, aerial shooting, drone surveillance, five-year funding cycles and clear obligations on Crown land managers to pull their weight.
Federal funding for the National Wild Dog Management Coordinator expires at the end of September 2026. That's why it's timely that the member for Gippsland got up and moved this motion, which is going to be supported by the member for Barker. We understand how bad the problem is and the role that the federal government has to play.
We are only halfway through a 10-year management plan, and the government is walking away right when the continuity of this program matters most. Here's the kicker: the funding required is such a modest ask. Industry is seeking a federal commitment of $250,000 a year over five years to keep the coordinator role and the action plan running.
That's a very small amount of money against a $302 million annual cost to the sector. Multiple industry bodies have already committed to the co-funding of the program, but government has not managed this commitment. The farmers and the industry, on behalf of the people who love the products of Australian livestock, shouldn't have to go cap in hand to this government, begging to properly fund invasive species management.
It should be a part of what we all agree is partially the responsibility of government. The Albanese government is treating wild dog management as the responsibility of states, territories and landholders alone. It's cut important pest and invasive species management programs, despite the growing economic impact of invasive species on agriculture.
The federal government already funds national coordinators for feral pigs, deer, rabbits, cats and foxes. Why would we treat the problem of wild dogs differently to those species that I just outlined? In many cases, they cause a much bigger problem.
If the government is serious about supporting regional Australia, protecting food security and managing invasive species—I reiterate what the member for Gippsland said—practical environmentalism such as this needs more boots and fewer suits. We need boots on the ground, proper practical environmentalism, and fewer bureaucrats in places like Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra talking about what should be done.
If the government's serious about supporting regional Australia, it must and it needs to properly fund the National Wild Dog Action Plan, $250,000 a year. I really look forward, given that he's outlined how much of an expert he is on this, to the member for Forde going over to the minister for agriculture and saying, 'On behalf of the Australian farmers, we, the Labor Party, need to get this done.'