Big Desert Sheep Farmers Come a Cropper

Big Desert is Victoria’s first protected park — but you wouldn’t know it.

On arrival, it’s obvious: the park is being strangled by farming.

The rusted netting fences wrapping the district show foxes have long been a problem. Yet, contrary to recent media spin, sheep exploiters weren’t losing stock before Dingo protections came in early last year. Their claims are lies — and we see them festering from the other side of the state.

Now, local farmers want Dingoes condemned to decades more persecution, just so they can keep baiting, keep shooting, and keep avoiding the real solution: investing in fences and proper predator control.

The truth? They want to leave animals unattended, unchecked, and unprotected — doing as little as possible while blaming wildlife.

The fox is deemed a problem by industry everywhere in Australia, and Big Desert is no exception.

Big Desert Predator Fence Report 2025

Key Findings

The survey identified widespread deficiencies:

• Fencing: No fox-proof structures recorded.

• Guardian Animals: Absent across all properties.

• Human Oversight: Only 4 of 22 properties showed evidence of residents living onsite.

• Animal Welfare: Evidence of deceased livestock and compromised paddocks

Recommendations

1. Urgent investment in fox-proof fencing to protect sheep and lambs.

2. Use government incentives to subsidise infrastructure upgrades.

3. Mandatory compliance mechanisms within livestock protection standards.

4. Promotion of best-practice predator management, including guardian animals and integrated

methods.

Full report available via formal request - Not for public viewing

BIG DESERT SHEEP FENCING - Redacted version.pdf

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