DOGGERS and farmers in Mansfield Shire and other parts of North East Victoria have been given at least another year to trap, bait or shoot feral dogs in a move farmers call “a no-brainer”, but “disappointing”.

Victorian Farmers Federation Livestock Group Vice-President Peter Star, a farmer in Tallangatta southeast of Albury, told the Mansfield Courier the group would seek a further extension beyond 2024.

“It just made sense to extend the successful Wild Dog Management Plan (for a year from 2023),” he told the Courier.

“It’s a nation-leading initiative that protects both farmers and our native wildlife.”

Since the plan was launched in 2012, wild dog attacks on livestock have plunged 75 percent.

“Farmers have come to rely on this plan to protect their livestock from the harrowing impact of wild dogs and renewing it is a no-brainer," Mr Star said.

“It’s disappointing the program has only been extended for a year.”

Mr Star said claims by critics the program threatened dingoes were baseless.

“Wild dogs pose a significant threat to Victoria’s farming communities and there is no lack of evidence to support that,” he said.

The program covers public land and inside three kilometres of a farm boundary.

It also urges farmers to put up effective fencing in problem areas.

“It’s made a huge difference – it’s holding back the majority of wild dog attacks ack outside that 3km line,”Tallangatta farmer and former chair of the National Wild Dog Management Advisory Group Michael McCormack told the ABC recently.

“It is essential for us to keep that buffer zone.”

The state government has said it is trying to balance the needs of farmers and the need to protect the dingo population.

Former dogger Ian Campbell said the action plan had made a huge difference.

“Before, there were that many dogs – the farmers were out all night trying to keep them out.”

The VFF’s Mr Star said the wild dog management plan strikes a good balance.

“I know of incidents where the only option was to euthanise the (attacked) animal,” he said.

“Not only does it protect our wildlife, it helps our wild dog controllers to work in that space.”

In a report in August, the United Nations said invasive species cost the global economy more than $400 billion a year.

“Invasive species have played a role in 60 per cent of global plant and animal extinctions,” the report said.

Australian NGO the Invasive Species Council says that figure is 85 per cent in Australia.

“If we are genuinely to protect and restore out native ecosystems, then stopping the next wave of invasive species-driven extinctions must be a priority,” it said.