Dogger training course a success

26/11/04
Three new fully-trained doggers are now available to assist government and landholders in their ongoing efforts to control wild dog numbers.
The doggers, from Perth, Collie and Geraldton, are the first graduates of the State Government's Dogger Training Course who completed their tuition in Kalgoorlie today.
The course was developed after an industry review of the Wild Dog Control Program identified a lack of succession planning for doggers as a key threat to the continued viability of many pastoral and agricultural businesses.
Agriculture Minister Kim Chance said doggers were in danger of being lost forever unless a system was put in place to enable their skills to be passed on to a new generation.
The three-month, nationally accredited course is a collaborative venture between the Agriculture Protection Board (APB), Central West College of TAFE, Rural Skills Australia and the Department of Agriculture, with specialist industry input.
"The course covers all the skills typically associated with dogging such as preparation and application of chemicals, animal trapping techniques, use of firearms and conducting vertebrate pest activities from an aircraft," Mr Chance said.
"The training also incorporates four-wheel-drive operation in remote areas, basic first aid, use of Global Positioning Systems, use of radio communication systems and occupational health and safety issues.
"The pilot course has run very smoothly and feedback from the graduates has been extremely positive.
"The graduates were presented with Certificates of Completion at a function today on my behalf by the Labor candidate for Kalgoorlie, James Donnelly, and I am sure it won't be long before they are employed."
The Minister said expressions of interest in the training course had been received from several other parties and it was hoped to run a further course in 2005.
The draft Wild Dog Management Strategy is open for public comment until December 15, 2004. Landholders are encouraged to review the document and provide comment.
The draft strategy outlines a recommended framework to operate consistently across legal and administrative boundaries, and emphasises the importance of co-ordinated planning and action at a local level.
Mr Chance said while landholders were legally responsible for wild dog control on their properties, the State Government was also spending $1.6million this financial year on control and prevention measures.
In the past 18 months the Government has also:

• introduced a bounty scheme;
• investigated alternative suppliers to minimise meat shortages for bait production;
• accessed affordable liability insurance for Declared Animal groups;
• supported the continued use of 1080 for wild dog control;
• conducted scientific evaluation of new bait products;
• developed protocols and trained landholders to inject baits;
• progressed the upgrade of high-risk sections of the State Barrier Fence to a standard that will exclude wild dogs; and
• researched bait attractants.

"I also note the Commonwealth Government's offer, made the day before the October election, to provide $300,000 towards wild dog control in the Goldfields region," the Minister said.
"They have indicated this money would be delivered in co-operation with responsible agencies and I have written to Minister Truss seeking a co-operative approach."
Copies of the draft strategy are available from http://www.agric.wa.gov.au or by contacting Barry Davies on phone (08) 9690 2194 or bdavies@agric.wa.gov.au
Anyone requiring further information on the Dogger Training Course can contact APB manager Tony Richman on (08) 9690 2195 or trichman@agric.wa.gov.au
Minister's office: 9213 6700