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Week commencing Thursday, 2 March | 2017 | Edition 865
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www.freetimes.com.au
George set for the Show
Foster carer call
Swimathon on Sunday
Busking Stanthorpe photos
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Unity in dog war By Jeremy Sollars
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Join forces against the dog menace (from left) SDRC Local Laws Officer James Eastwell with landowners Alan Payne, Noel McConville, Chris Mauch and Paul Maher.
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Calls are being made loud and clear for landowners to unite in the ongoing battle against the scourge of wild dogs in the region’s farming industry. With wild dogs costing the Australian economy more than $60 million every year, experts warn there is no room for complacency when dealing with the menace. A forum to be held at Freestone on 16 March where National Wild Dog co-ordinator Chris Mifsud will be a presenter - will be a rallying point for landowners in the mountain country east of Warwick, where wild dogs have a strong breeding foothold, including in national parks. Southern Downs Regional Council Local Laws Officer James Eastwell - who specialises in dog and feral animal management - is urging landowners in the Freestone, Goomburra and Maryvale districts to join forces, particularly when it comes to laying 1080 poison baits which are a key control measure. Wild dogs breeding in the largely inaccessible range country in those districts follow a wellworn path out of the mountains, heading across the ridgelines east of Warwick and venturing out to the traprock country to the west, where they are crippling the sheep industry. But dogs are also wreaking financial and emotional havoc for cattle producers across the region, with calf losses harder to keep a handle on than those of sheep and lambs. Calls are also growing louder for increased use of aerial 1080 baiting in national parks, where breeding pairs can easily produce six to 10 pups every year if left unchecked. James Eastwell told the Free Times he wanted to see “more interaction” between landowners and producers. Continued on Page 3
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