NSW Wild Dog Fence Extension project

November 2020

Background

The NSW Government has committed to extending the NSW Border Wild Dog Fence (commonly known as the dog fence) by 742 km which it will fund at an estimated cost of $37.5 million. The commitment comes following a feasibility study (first published January 2019) that was commissioned by the Border Fence Maintenance Board and funded by Local Land Services.

The study determined there would be considerable benefits to be had by extending the fence by 420 km in the east adjacent to Mungindi and 322 km in the south to just short of the Murray River. The fence is currently approximately 583 km in length and erected along parts of the NSW/Queensland border and NSW/South Australian border.

Work underway

The mapping for the proposed alignment along the NSW and South Australia border has been completed, and around 320 km of mapping for the proposed alignment along the NSW and Queensland border undertaken, with around 100 km to be mapped.

The biodiversity assessments along the NSW and South Australia proposed alignment have been undertaken, while the biodiversity assessments along the NSW and Queensland proposed alignment will commence once the mapping is completed. The two consultants engaged to carry out the assessments for Aboriginal cultural heritage, as well as Recognised Aboriginal Parties and local Traditional Owners, have been out on country to carry out assessments along the proposed fence alignments.

The initial on-ground assessments along the NSW and South Australian border were carried out in late August, while the initial on-ground assessments along the NSW and Queensland border commenced in mid-October. Following the initial on-ground assessments, further remote sensing and sub-surface investigations will be carried out in conjunction with the relevant local Aboriginal representatives. The findings of these follow-up investigations will be input into the Environmental Impact Statement which forms part of the project’s submission for approval.

Construction commenced in September at a priority pilot site at Hungerford where the current dog fence finishes. This first section of construction is 15 kilometres in length and will test and evaluate the systems the project team has in place prior to the main construction phase of the project. Already, two businesses from Bourke have provided materials while two Broken Hill businesses have been engaged to provide materials and the construction for the first build on the NSW and South Australian section.

Two tenders have been called, the first to manufacture and supply fence materials and the second for the construction of the priority pilot site. The NSW Government will soon be calling tenders for businesses to undertake earthworks and fence construction for the main build. Businesses and individuals can get further information about the upcoming tender by reading the ‘notice of intent to issue a tender’ document in the below resource library, or by contacting the project team. There will be a number of employment opportunities in the construction phase of the project, with some positions to remain ongoing to manage the extended fence.

Opportunities to be involved

As with any major project, the NSW Wild Dog Fence Extension project is subject to a rigorous and comprehensive environmental impact statement. This assessment examines all potential environmental and social impacts that may occur during the construction and operation of the project and proposes mitigation measures to avoid and manage any potential impacts. This includes biodiversity, air quality, noise and vibration, construction methodology, soil and sediment management, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal heritage, flora and fauna and sustainability.

Development of the environmental impact statement is underway during the second half of 2020. Local Land Services is leading the process which will include a range of community and stakeholder consultation activities to inform the project’s development. Learn more about how to be involved below.

Have your say

During December the project team will be hosting face-to-face and online community information sessions to gather feedback, ideas, concerns and suggestions about the project to inform the development of the environmental impact statement. You can drop in any time during the advertised events below.

Face-to-face community information sessions

• Tuesday 8 December, 12 noon to 4 pm at the Civic Centre, 31 Chloride Street, Broken Hill
• Tuesday 8 December, 1 pm to 4 pm at the Community Hall, Anabranch Mail Road, Anabranch
• Tuesday 8 December, 5 pm to 7 pm at the Palace Hotel, 227 Argent Street, Broken Hill
• Thursday 10 December, 9 am to 1 pm at the Western Local Land Services building, 21 Mitchell St, Bourke
• Friday 11 December, 8 am to 11 am at Morillas Café, 2/2 Morilla Street, Lightning Ridge

Online community information sessions

• Tuesday 1 December from 1-2 pm
• Thursday 3 December from 6-7 pm
• Tuesday 15 December from 1-2 pm

Email wilddogfence@scs.nsw.gov.au to register for a session. All times are AEST.

If you are unable to attend one of the online sessions, a recording is also available which can be accessed by clicking here.

Please submit any questions in advance for the project team to respond to during the sessions by 3 pm on Friday 27 November by calling (02) 5852 1215 during business hours or email wilddogfence@scs.nsw.gov.au. If you are unable to attend one of the above sessions, or would like to arrange a private online session for your local community group/area, please contact the project team.

Other opportunities to have your say

Interested parties can also contact the project team by phone or email to have their say up until 5 pm on Friday 18 December.

We will consider all feedback we receive during the consultation phase in the development of the project environmental impact assessment. In the first half of 2021 we expect to lodge the project’s environmental impact assessment with NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment who will then publicly display the documents for further community and stakeholder feedback.

The community will be kept informed at each step of the way and can access information through the project website, community newsletters and the project phone number and email address in the contact details below.

Want to know more about the project?

Read or download the latest project updates for a snapshot of project progress:

• October 2020 Dashboard resource PDF, 547.75 KB
• August 2020 Dashboard resource PDF, 1487.17 KB
• April 2020 Dashboard resource PDF, 1396.35 KB

A number of other resources have been developed to inform stakeholders of the project:

• Project overview  PDF, 1009.43 KB
• Frequently asked questions  PDF, 1836.4 KB
• Notice of intent to issue a tender PDF, 156.72 KB

Contact us

The project team will continue to provide updates to landholders and community members as the project progresses. We are happy to make presentations and provide updates to any stakeholder group, or individual, in person, over the phone, email, or other. If you have any questions about the NSW Border Wild Dog Fence Extension Project, don’t hesitate to contact the project team.

Phone: (02) 5852 1215 (during business hours, Mon-Fri)
Email: wilddogfence@scs.nsw.gov.au
Send the project team an email with the subject ‘subscribe’ to receive ongoing project updates.