- The Miles Government has launched a new public safety education campaign for K’gari ahead of an expected busy Easter holiday period on the island.
- The campaign consists of increased signage as well as face-to-face engagement with visitors to the island.
- More than 1,300 camping permits and almost 4,500 vehicle access permits have so-far been issued for the holiday period.
The Miles Government has launched a new Be Dingo Safe public safety education campaign for K’gari ahead of an expected influx of tourists to the island for the Easter school holidays.
The campaign will see increased signage and billboards across the Wide Bay region as well as Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Butchulla community rangers and officers from the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation community engagement team engaging with tourists across the island.
They will be raising awareness of the wongari (dingoes) and promoting dingo-safe behaviour to people, which includes the correct storage of food, keeping children and young teenagers within arm’s reach and never walking alone.
The new campaign builds upon on a pilot education campaign which was rolled-out on the island during late 2023 and early 2024, and was found to be effective in informing tourists about the dangers of the island’s native dingo population and the need to take steps to ensure their safety.
To help promote the safety of all on the island, the Miles Government is investing an additional $2 million in funding this financial year and an additional $3 million annually ongoing for additional dingo management positions and to expand our proactive Be Dingo Safe messaging.
Additional QPWS and Butchulla rangers are increasing face-to-face engagement and compliance activity with tourists and locals as well as enhancing management and monitoring of dingoes that exhibit threatening and high-risk behaviour.
Safety messaging and communications have also been expanded to include the delivery of additional proactive safety messages at locations where tourists obtain camping permits and at arrival points on the island.
The funding boost followed a number of negative interactions between the island’s wongari and humans, which resulted in some humans receiving injuries.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef and Minister for Science and Innovation, Leanne Linard:
“K’gari is one of our most iconic and beloved tourism destinations, especially at Easter when families, fishers and 4WD enthusiasts flock to the island.
“However, the pristine natural environment that attracts so many also presents challenges, particularly with the wongari population. Wongari may look like cute domestic dogs, but they are wild animals and they need to be treated as such.
“We want to make sure visitors to K’gari can enjoy it safely, while helping to keep the island’s precious dingo population wild.
“That means following the rules and understanding how to Be Dingo Safe.
“Dingoes are wild animals and we need everyone to be aware of the dangers of potential interactions.
“We want people to have a safe, enjoyable holiday by giving dingoes their space, keeping children and young teenagers within arm’s reach, never walking alone and carrying a stick at all times.
“The Miles Government is committed to protecting and conserving the dingo population on K’gari and we want people to have a safe holiday by following the Be Dingo Safe rules.
“Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the LNP. David Crisafulli sat in the Newman Cabinet when they closed the Eurong Visitor Information Centre on the island and cut local QPWS staff.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Hervey Bay, Adrian Tantari:
“People love coming to K’gari and why wouldn’t they? The beauty and pristine wilderness make it a very special destination.
“That’s why bookings for camping permits have increased by more than 50 per cent in the past five years.
“We want to ensure everyone who visits the island does so safely and leaves with positive and happy memories.
“The QPWS and Butchulla rangers work hard each and every day to manage the wongari population as well as engage with tourists and locals and educating them on being dingo safe.
“It is my hope to visitors to the island this Easter period will heed the messages of the new Be Dingo Safe education campaign and follow them.”
