State, feds divided over fencing funds

THE war of words between Federal Member for Maranoa Bruce Scott and state Agriculture Minister John McVeigh over pest animal funding continues, following Mr McVeigh's announcement at Longreach last week that none of the $5.6 million allocated for pest control in Queensland's drought declared areas could be spent on fencing.

Mr Scott has strongly advocated for the state to spend its federal allocation on hard infrastructure, saying that conventional methods of control were failing.

On at least two occasions last week Mr McVeigh stated that the guidelines of the federal-state pest management funding agreement precluded the state putting its allocation towards check fences.

"We have had distracting commentary in recent weeks," Mr McVeigh told a gathering of proponents for the 1300km check fence proposal.

"Just to clarify, the project guidelines say, thou shalt not spend money on fences."

The following morning a similar comment was front and centre at the meeting called by Mr McVeigh and attended principally by mayors and wild dog advisory group chairmen to discuss how the federal funding would be allocated.

"There is no money for fencing," he told the meeting.

"I imagine the federal government thinking is that in times of drought we need to hit dogs hard while they're vulnerable."

In the wake of these comments Mr Scott said he had received advice from his federal colleague Barnaby Joyce's department that there was nothing in the agreement that prevented money being spent on fencing.

"I was told that it was a matter for the Queensland government whether they wanted to apply a portion of the $5.6m to fences.

Read more:
State, feds divided over fencing funds