THE Southern Grampians Shire Council has called on the State Government to remove a “ludicrous” proposal to reintroduce dingoes into the Grampians National Park.

Councillors passed a motion at Wednesday’s council meeting to “strongly oppose” the proposal and write to both environment minister, Lily D’Ambrosio and agriculture minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, to remove it from Parks Victoria’s draft Greater Gariwerd Landscape Management Plan.

Councillor Greg McAdam said it was “ludicrous” the proposal had been included in the plan.

“For over 100 years there have been concerted efforts across eastern Australia to separate dingoes from sheep,” he said.

“I have seen at close quarters what just one dingo can do to a fully grown cow and it’s not pretty – it happened 50 years ago and I remember it like yesterday.

“How anyone can believe that releasing dingoes into the Grampians National Park will be anything other than an unmitigated disaster for western Victoria and the farmers within it is beyond me.

“As a neighbouring local government area, I feel we should support our farming ratepayers and their fight to prevent this ludicrous proposal from happening in any way we can.”

Cr Katrina Rainsford raised the motion and said she had been contacted by many farmers concerned by the plan.

The plan identified the reintroduction of native animals, including dingoes, eastern quolls, spot-tailed quolls and eastern-barred bandicoots, as a medium-term priority to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural values of the landscape.

The report stated the reintroduction of dingoes, which are considered extinct in Victoria, would help control pest species in the Grampians.

“When I first heard about it, I did think it could be an April Fool’s Day joke … and I’m not the only one that felt that,” Cr Rainsford said.

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