The Victorian Government's announcement to extend its dingo unprotection order in the north-east and eastern parts of the state has been criticised by the Taungurung Land and Waters Council, who say they are "deeply concerned" by the decision.
The decision permits the control of dingoes on private land and along the boundaries of public land until the start of 2028, with the government investing an additional $2 million into non-lethal dingo controls and population research.
Dingoes will continue to be protected in the north-west of Victoria where the population is critically low, with lethal controls not permitted on private or public land in the north-west.
The government said there is little evidence dingoes are present in large numbers in these parts of the state.
"We are striking the right balance between protecting our vulnerable dingo populations while giving farmers the ability to protect their livestock, and we will regularly engage to ensure settings continue to achieve this balance," Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos said.
"We're supporting Traditional Owners to care for Country - and providing more resources to analyse statewide dingo population trends and effective conservation management measures."
In response, the Taungurung Land and Waters Council (TLaWC) said the proactive killing of yirrangan (dingo in Taungurung language) was deeply concerning.
"Yirrangan are a culturally significant species to Taungurung people and Country with deep biophysical, cultural, and ancestral associations," TLaWC said in a statement.
"Yirrangan and Taungurung people have coexisted harmoniously for millennia, and share the same story; driven from Country, managed, and at times murdered according to colonial views."
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Matthew Shanks, the executive manager of Biocultural Landscapes executive manager at TLaWC, said yirrangan are vital to the health and future of Taungurung Country
"The extended Unprotection Order disregards Taungurung lore and our obligations as Taungurung people to care for Country, for the benefit of all people," he said.
"'TLaWC advocates for yirrangan due to their ability to maintain balance on Country, providing management of other plant and animal species."
Dingoes are a protected threatened wildlife under the Wildlife Act 1975 and listed as vulnerable on the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 Threatened List.
TLaWC said pathways enabling the "culturally informed management" of Yrrangan on Country have been identified in the review of the Wildlife Act, which they argue has been "stalled" by the state government.
Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations chief executive, Paul Paton said people and dingoes had existed peacefully in co-existence for thousands of years, and this could continue if "Traditional Owner groups are recognised and respected as genuine partners in decision-making for culturally significant species, including dingo".
"The Victorian Government hasn't listened to the science, it hasn't listened to the Traditional Owners who have called for the native dingo's protection, and it hasn't listened to its own commitment to Traditional Owners' self-determination and decision-making," Mr Paton said.
TLaWC said whilst they supported the removal of the so-called "wild dog" bounty, it was not enough, arguing genetic analysis shows that populations of yirrangan are on the pathway to extinction over the coming decades.
They called for the end of the term "wild dog", calling it misleading, and a lifting of the Unprotection Order across all of Victoria.
The Federation called on the Victorian Government to centre Traditional Owner groups' knowledge and role at the heart of managing culturally significant species.
It said the government needed to build the "evidence base" about dingoes, ensuring ongoing decision making better reflects the needs and values of a healthy cultural landscape.
"This decision was a missed opportunity to recognise the rights of Traditional Owners and partner genuinely in decision-making for culturally significant species," Mr Paton said.
