Malcom Kilpatrick - President (Save Fraser Island Dingoes Inc.)

The time for debate is over and it is time for the government to realise their current Fraser Island Dingo Management Strategy is not working, this follows another attack on Fraser Island. A three year old girl was left unsupervised near the barge landing at Hook Point, the child went into the dunes and was followed by two dingoes, who then attacked her, if not for the quick actions of locals the consequences could have been much worse. The family were not even aware the child was in danger.

There are approximately 50 rangers on Fraser Island but the education of tourists is sadly lacking, the management strategy, when first formulated, suggested that a program of face-to-face talks by rangers was the most productive way of changing visitor Behaviour and halting dingo incidents, but this is not happening, the only ranger's to be seen are usually driving by in their 4x4 vehicles.

It is time that Qld.National Parks stopped playing the blame game and took responsibility for ten years of mismanagement on the Island and ten years of mistreatment of the dingo, they have attempted to change the nature of the dingo, you cannot keep interfering with a species without consequences. Scientist, researchers and animal behaviourist's have been saying for many years that culling, hazing, trapping, shock collars and ear-tagging will only cause these once shy and timid animals into becoming aggressive. The facts speak for themselves.

We call upon the government to urgently conduct an independent, scientific peer review of their current management plan as presently their strategy is failing in it's duty of care to both tourists and dingo.

Fraser Island is the dingoes home, those that come to the Island are only visitor's and need to remember that their actions mean life and death for these animals..and the culling continues...