While welcoming this week’s announcement of a full $5m for wild dog check fencing from the state government, the Member for Gregory Lachlan Millar is disappointed the money still isn’t hitting the ground straight away.
Agriculture Minister Bill Byrne said on Wednesday that he will restore the full $5 million promised for cluster fencing, after $500,000 had been siphoned off for a loan scheme pilot study by previous Agriculture Minister Leanne Donaldson, and that he will get the money out by Christmas.
“This is a very welcome and decisive approach, ending seven wasted months under the previous minister,” said Mr Millar.
He remained frustrated that the Remote Area Planning and Development Board would have to re-tender for the money available, when 11 assessed projects were on the starting blocks.
His frustration boiled over in parliament at the start of November when he put out a call for the money to be released.
“We have not received one red cent on the ground and there is no clear explanation why not,” he said at the time, describing the government’s wild dog funding as “one of the most overdone examples of government red-tape”, saying all local councils had wild dog rangers, along with expertise within NRM groups in the region.
Mr Millar reiterated that this week, saying to his mind, the process put in place by the government to access the promised money “just chews money up in administration, and there is always the uncertainty that they may miss out altogether.”
He said the program was about fenceposts in the ground and wire up, rather than red tape.
“We have momentum at the moment and we don’t need it to be stalled.”
At the time, then-Minister Leanne Donaldson dismissed the comments, saying Mr Millar had been a senior ministerial staffer in an LNP government that paid lip service to the real needs of the bush and did very little to tackle the scourge of wild dogs.
“It took a Labor government to galvanise all levels of government, producers and land management groups to develop a successful cluster fencing program that is having proven results on the ground.
“I am sure producers will find his criticisms of the Feral Pest Initiative hypocritical and ironic.”
She said that DAF recognised RAPAD and SW NRM had potential projects ready for future funding and said DAF would continue to work with them, but added that the pilot project was taking on something new in looking to assist producers who fall between the cracks and may not be eligible for existing QRAA or other loans, but that with some support may become viable and productive.
RAPAD general manager David Arnold was philosophical about the ongoing delay.
“In an ideal world, the money is there, the cluster applications are all in a line, they’ve gone through a transparent process, but it didn’t happen.
“We’ll just have to go with the flow.”
He acknowledged there were people under the RAPAD banner who would love to fence but either their neighbour didn’t want to or they couldn’t afford to, for whom a loan scheme may suit.
Mr Millar said he had confidence wild dog commissioners Vaughan Johnson and Mark O’Brien would spread the funding fairly and the central west would get its share.
“The important thing is we get the money and get building on the ground. I congratulate Minister Byrne for his grasp of the issue,” he said.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
