Dingo Fence - Environmental Impact

Environmental Impact

It seems that there are fewer kangaroos and emus on the northwestern side of the fence where the dingoes are, suggesting that the dingoes' presence has an impact on the populations of those animals. It has also been suggested that the larger kangaroo populations inside the fence have been caused by the lack of dingo predation, and competition for food leads to lower sheep stocking rates than would be possible without the fence.

Believed to have been introduced 4,000 years ago, the dingo’s status as a native or introduced species in Australia has been a controversy. According to Dr. Mike Letnic, of the University of Sydney, the dingo, as Australia’s top predator, has an important role in maintaining the balance of nature and that reintroducing or existing dingo populations could increase biodiversity across more than 2 million square kilometres of Australia (Avolia 2009). Where dingoes had been exterminated, Dr. Letnic found increased abundances of introduced red foxes and herbivores, while small native mammals and grasses were lost. Today, dingoes are legally classified as vermin and carry a bounty of A$20 ($19 USD) a head. Rewards for dingoes caught on the inside (southeast) of the fence can be upwards of A$500.

Although the fence has helped reduce the loss of sheep to predators, the exclusion of dingoes has allowed for increased pasture competition from rabbits, kangaroos and emus. The use of poison is a common practice in Australia by lacing waterholes with chemicals.

Today, the rate at which feral camel are smashing down sections of the fence is fast increasing in Southern Australia. Plans for restructuring the Dog fence to be taller and electric are under process.