Queensland councils want state government funding, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, to help trap and eradicate wild dogs and feral animals.

The Local Government Association of Queensland will take up the councils' cause with the state government.

Maroochy delegates to the association's annual conference in Toowoomba were supported by other delegates in their argument that councils with large areas of national park were facing increasing demands from rural property owners to trap and eradicate wild dogs.

They said national parks were a natural habitat for wild dogs that were now ranging closer to urban areas in search of food.

Maroochy Council had allocated $25,000 in the last financial year to manage the dogs, but said it had insufficient resources to attack the problem to the satisfaction of the community. However, it had been forced to allocate a further $10,000 to fund eradication work.

The council said hungry wild dogs were now even venturing into school grounds and rural shopping areas scavenging for food. There was a growing concern in their community that a potential to spread hydatis existed, they said.

LGAQ executive director, Greg Hallam, said a review of the association's 2002 Economic Impact of State and Local Government Expenditure on Weed and Pest Animal Management in Queensland  had shown that in 2005/2006, local governments had increased these controls markedly.

"That update showed that in the financial year 2005/2006 councils had spent $23.6 million on weed and pest controls," Mr Hallam said.

Cr Paul Bell, AM President
Executive
president@lgaq.asn.au    P: 07 3000 2222    M: 0418 791 596