Dingo protections questioned after new research

The Victorian Farmers Federation is calling on the Victorian Government to remove dingoes from the state’s threatened species protections, following the release of new genetic research into dingo populations across south-eastern Australia.

The call comes after a 2025 study published in Molecular Ecology, alongside separate research from the University of Adelaide, found some dingo populations in eastern and southern Australia contain significant levels of domestic dog ancestry.

VFF Acting President Peter Star says the findings raise serious questions about the scientific basis behind current protection policies in north-west Victoria.

He says farmers are continuing to experience rising stock losses and growing wild dog activity, while practical control measures remain limited under existing rules.

The Federation says two breeding seasons have now passed since protections were reinstated, with producers reporting increased predation pressure and delays linked to wildlife control permits.

The VFF is now calling for an immediate review of dingo management policy, streamlined permit access for farmers and the reinstatement of a three-kilometre management buffer adjoining public land.