A Queensland mayor has called for children under 12 to be banned from camping in unfenced areas of K’gari (Fraser Island) to protect them from dingo attacks.
The appeal follows a string of attacks, with data showing that nine of the past 16 ‘high-risk’ dingo incidents have involved children under the age of 17. Earlier this month, a four-year-old girl was flown to hospital after a dingo bit her on the chest.
Fraser Coast Mayor, George Seymour, has now written to the Queensland Government insisting something has to change.
“This is getting to the stage where it is frightening, whether the next one will be a fatality or not,” he told the ABC. “I just don’t think that it is an appropriate place for children to be, given the number of attacks, the changing nature of attacks, and the potential for a fatality here.”
This dingo was responsible for the attack on a young boy on K'gari last year. PIC: Queensland Department of Environment and Science
The mayor said he would rather see young families holiday elsewhere than risk their safety.
“When families go over there, they are told that they need to keep children within arm’s length of them at all times — now, that doesn’t make for a fun experience, either for the children or the parents,” he told the ABC. “If there is a reduction, and I think there needs to be a reduction, in the number of people camping [on K’gari], that is a good thing … my concern is for the safety of children and the preservation of wilderness.”
Dingo-deterrent fencing surrounds all townships on K’gari and several campgrounds, including Waddy Point and Cornwells.
Minister for the Environment Leanne Linard told the ABC that visitors to K’gari under the age of 14 were already advised to camp in areas with dingo-deterrent fencing.
“The risk is not isolated to camping areas, people must remain vigilant on the island at all times,” Ms Linard said. “It is also vital that everyone follows the rules, thereby reducing habituation of dingoes and decreasing the risk of attack,” she said.
Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation ranger, Darren Blake, told the ABC that the entire island could be enjoyed by families, as long as parents remained vigilant.
“It would be really hard to police having restrictions for children under 12,” Mr Blake said. “It’s really up to the parents to decide if they want to go in a fenced area or not.”
He said he would be taking his own children on holiday to the island, but he would be constantly on the lookout.
“If you really want to relax, go to the Sunny Coast or Gold Coast … where you don’t have wild dingoes coming out on the beach,” he said.
Including day trippers and overnight visitors, K’gari draws an estimated 400,000 people each year.
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I want all camping banned on Frazer Island to protect the dingo’s, they were there first, and are being executed for human mistakes.
Maybe you’ve been watching too many “Bambi” Disney movies..??
Always was, always will be “Fraser Island”. Banning children from a public place is a draconian measure to ultimately ban all visitors. This outrageous suggestion will effectively kill off a huge amount of tourism and $$ in the region. Is that what the government is aiming for in a surreptitious way?
too many dingoes & not enough natural food for them…they will prey on the vulnerable – it has and will happen until they cull numbers to sustainable levels or fence off areas for them to roam with enough food…or ban visitors altogether would be a wise choice and potentially save lives.
May be re locate them.
Sounds like there are too many dingoes.
I LOVE FRASER Island but I really think it’s unsuitable for young children. Take them somewhere they can run amok & have fun & where the parents can also relax & have fun. Where they don’t have to be constantly on guard against a predator attacking their children. The dingoes are an important part of Fraser Is & the whole ecosystem & I think people forget that they are a wild animal & as such should be given as much respect as perhaps a crocodile or deadly snake.
Obviously the poor dingo
s are starving!! There is nothing for them to eat on the island! Any wildlife would have been hunted down long ago. No wonder they are attacking children!s are desperate and many die of starvation.Too many tourists camping on the island. It should be left alone. Sure have a resort there for those who wish to visit. But campers are destroying the natural habitat. And those with children ought to know better, putting their children at risk !! The Dingo
It is very sad.
The dingoes are desensitised to humans and are behaving accordingly. Yes, I believe that children and frail elderly should be barred and tourists posing for photos like the one in this issue of GN should incur an appropriate penalty for their irresponsible actions.