General News
14 October, 2025
Kill dingo decision blasted
AN animal welfare group is horrified that Douglas Shire Council will continue to trap and cull dingoes when necessary.
Paws and Claws president Michael Kerr is urging the council to immediately halt its “instant kill” policy and publicly confirm that 1080 poison will not be used within the Shire.
“While I understand council’s duty to protect public safety, sentencing native animals to death for behaviours caused by human feeding and habituation is unjust,” Mr Kerr said. “We must consider all alternatives before resorting to irreversible actions,” he said.
Mr Kerr said the animals were not villains – “they are victims of human negligence. We must lead with education, not extermination,” he said.
The council’s Biosecurity Management Plan 2022-2026 lists shooting as the “optimal” control method for dingoes deemed aggressive or habituated.
However, this approach has drawn criticism from conservationists, residents and animal welfare advocates, particularly following reports of a young dingo being trapped and killed near the Port Douglas Sports Complex.
Last week at the council’s monthly meeting, councillors unanimously backed its commitment to the Biosecuity Act 2014.
In a report the council said it did not engage in automatic baiting or culling.
“Decisions are based on public risk and legal responsibilities,” it said.
The report said it was not permitted to relocate dingoes and that trapping was employed only when dingoes display threatening behaviour, such as aggression towards people or domestic animals.
“Use of 1080 baiting is prohibited in urban areas and is not used within the Port Douglas township,” it said.
The council also rejected a ‘Let sleeping dingoes live’ petition which attracted 1161 signatures, of which it said only 134 were from Douglas Shire residents. The report said over several months, the council received more than 30 complaints and many correspondences – particularly from local resorts – regarding dingo activity in the Port Douglas township.
“Reports describe two dingoes displaying increasingly bold and aggressive behaviour, including attacking domestic pets, stalking residents and scavenging food from resorts and commercial areas
“Such behaviours pose a serious public safety risk and indicate the animals have become habituated to human presence, often due to feeding,” the report said.
Cr Damian Meadows told the meeting that the dingoes were “beautiful animals” but the council must comply with the legislation
Deputy mayor Roy Zammataro said they were natural scavengers and opportunist predators.
“In this report, the very fact that the safety precaution report advises people to stay close to small children and never leave them unsupervised is reason enough to continue trapping, and with the introduction of the splash park, there’ll be more children in Port Douglas,” he said.
“Look a dingo attack can leave an adult badly injured, but for a child, the consequences could be devastating.”
Cr Zammataro said dingoes should live, but not in a populated urban area.
Cr Michael Rees said he had been bailed up twice by dingoes on his morning run.
“I can sort of defend myself against two dingoes, but maybe a child can’t,” he said.
Douglas Shire Mayor Lisa Scomazzon said people needed to listen to the council’s advice and stop feeding dingoes.
Read More: Port Douglas
