AgForce Sheep & Wool president and QDOG chair Brent Finlay said the group’s members would draw on their on-ground experiences in pest management to oversee the implementation of Queensland’s Wild Dog Strategy.

“Minimising the cost of wild dogs requires everyone in the industry, especially those on the ground, to be aware of and manage the problem in a coordinated manner – and we need good science to guide us,” Mr Finlay said.

“QDOG brings together experienced livestock producers, local and state governments and pest experts as a unified force to roll-out the effective control of dogs on both sides of the barrier fence and to reduce the impact of dogs across Queensland – from peri-urban areas to the outback.

“The Blueprint for the Bush study into the economic impact of wild dogs, released by AgForce in September, identified a cost of more than $67 million to the Queensland grazing industry in 2008/09 and highlighted the need for more research into control options.

“QDOG will go a long way towards increasing community awareness about wild dogs, and ensuring that dogs are managed at a landscape level through the involvement of public and private landholders.”

Another AgForce representative on QDOG is Wyandra producer Peter Lucas, who has proven on-ground pest management experience as chair of the successful Paroo wild dog group which has significantly reduced stock losses thanks to 98 percent landholder participation in dog control.

Mr Lucas also sits on the National Wild Dog Management Advisory Group.

In recognition that wild dogs are no longer “just a sheep problem”, AgForce Cattle director David Rathie is also on the QDOG committee, along with past AgForce president Peter Kenny.

The formation of QDOG was in response to recommendations from Peter Kenny’s independent review of the Queensland Wild Dog Strategy in 2008.

Also taking a seat at the QDOG table are Councillor David Edwards, Mayor of Quilpie; Councillor Raymond Brown, Mayor of Western Downs Regional Council; Councillor Heather Wehl, Scenic Rim Regional Council; Des Boyland, Queensland Conservation Council; and Bruce Wilson, Biosecurity Queensland.

The inaugural QDOG meeting is in Brisbane on November 16.