Full description
Protection of the Western Division pastoral industry from the destruction caused by dingoes and wild dogs was originally placed with the Western Land Board (from 1 January 1921 to 23 August 1934) and subsequently with the Western Lands Commissioner (from 24 August 1935 to 31 December 1957). The Wild Dog Destruction (Amendment) Act (No.40 1957) established the Wild Dog Destruction Board on 1 January 1958 to:
- control and maintain the Queensland and South Australian Border Fences
- maintain the network of cottages and water tanks along the border fences
- to administer the Wild Dog Destruction Fund * initiate actions aimed at the eradication of dingoes and wild dogs.
The term 'wild dog' encompassed any dog that is or has become wild, or any dingo whether or not it is held in captivity. While the most of the Wild Dog Destruction Board's work occurred in the 'borderlands' marauding packs of town dogs had to be dealt with on the fringes of towns and villages. (1)
The South Australian border fence is erected on or near the western border of New South Wales and extends from the northern border of New South Wales (Cameron's Corner) for approximately 257 kilometres southerly. The Wild Dog Destruction Board no longer maintains some 32 kilometres of this fence, south of its intersection with the South Australian check fence. The Queensland border fence is erected on or near the northern border of New South Wales and extends from the western border of New South Wales (Cameron's Corner) for approximately 359 kilometres easterly, to a point approximately 15 kilometres east of Hungerford. (2)
Authorisation to keep any dingo or half dingo in the Western Division is required from the Wild Dog Destruction Board. People are also required to seek written authorisation from the Wild Dog Destruction Board before taking a dingo into the Western Division of NSW. The Wild Dog Destruction Board as a matter of course refuses to grant such authorisations. Only under special circumstances, will a written application for authorisation of possession be considered on its merits at a normal Board meeting (held quarterly). (3)
The Wild Dog Destruction Board consisted of five members appointed by the Governor including (4) -
- one member who is the Western Lands Commissioner and Chairman
- one member nominated by the Pastures Protection Board for the Pastures Protection District of Broken Hill
- one member nominated by the Pastures Protection Board for the Pastures Protection District of Milparinka
- one member nominated by the Pastures Protection Board for the Pastures Protection District of Wanaaring
- one member nominated by the Pastoralists' Association of West Darling.
All Board appointees had to be resident in the Western Division and "ordinarily engaged in pastoral pursuits on land within that Division". (5) From early January to 28 February 1975 the administration of the Wild Dog Destruction Act was transferred to the Minister for Agriculture and then returned to the Minister for Lands. (6)
The Wild Dog Destruction Board initiated a plan to replace ten of its border cottages with modern dwellings in 1987. (7) The Rural Lands Protection Act (No.197 1989) established Rural Lands Protection Boards throughout country New South Wales leading to a 'technical' changes in the composition of the Wild Dog Destruction Board. The Wild Dog Destruction Board now consisted of six members appointed by the Governor including -
- one member who is the Western Lands Commissioner and Chairperson
- one member nominated by the Rural Lands Protection Board Wanaaring
- one member nominated by the Rural Lands Protection Board Milparinka
- one member nominated by the Rural Lands Protection Board Broken Hill
- one member nominated by the Pastoralists' Association of West Darling
- one member nominated by the Western Division Council of the New South Wales Farmers' Association Under the Rural Lands Protection Act (No.143, 1988) dogs are now classified as pest animals rather than noxious animals and the definition of a wild dog will include any dog which is living in the wild. (8)
On 1 July 2017 the Biosecurity Act 2015 renamed the Wild Dog Destruction Act 1921 as the Border Fence Maintenance Act 1927 (Act No.17, 1921) and the board was consequently renamed the Border Fence Maintenance Board. (9)
The Border Fence Maintenance Board became a part of the Department of Regional NSW when it was established on 2 April 2020. (10)
Endnote
1. Annual Report of the Wild Dog Destruction Board for the year ended 31 December 1992 Page 1.
2. Loc cit. page 1.
3. Wise, Geoff 'Current Policy for Wild Dogs and dingoes in Western Division unchanged', Western Division Newsletter http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/Past/WDN/current/story17.htm
4. Wild Dog Destruction (Amendment) Act (No.40 1957) Sections 4 & 5.
5. Op cit. Section 6.
6. Annual Report of the Wild Dog Destruction Board for the year ended 31 December 1975 in the Parliamentary Papers 1976-77-78 Vol. 11 Page 1551.
7. Annual Report of the Wild Dog Destruction Board for the year ended 31 December 1992 Page 6.
8. Annual Report of the Wild Dog Destruction Board for the year ended 31 December 1996 Page 2.
9. Biosecurity Act 2015 (Act No.25, 2015) Schedule 8 [2] and [23], commencement proclamation Legislation website (2017-227) 2 June 2017 (effective 1 July 2017), amending the Wild Dog Destruction Act 1927 to the Border Fence Maintenance Act 1927.
10. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes – Regional NSW and Independent Planning Commission) Order 2020
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