VERMIN FENCING MADE INDIGENOUS JOBS

Debbie and Ashley Dowden from Challa Station with WA Agriculture minster Alannah MacTiernan after the ribbon cutting cemetary at Mt Magnet Pastoral and Mining Museum. Photo Alannah MacTiernan.

In WA’s Murchison region, a new barrier fence protecting 53 pastoral properties from wild dogs is now complete.

WA Agriculture minister Alannah MacTiernan said put $1.144 million towards building the Murchison Regional Vermin Cell fence, on the condition that the work went to Aboriginal contractors.

The Cell Fence is an extension of the 1200 km State Barrier Fence.

“The contracts that we have for maintaining the State Barrier Fence are ongoing,” she said. “Basically we have teams of people ensuring that the whole 1200km or so of the State Barrier Fence are inspected at least once a month and repaired as required. All of that work is done by Aborignal contractors.

“It’s been a great project that we have dedicated and we’ve decided that we were going to have that work exclusively available for Aboriginal contractors and people like Grant Simpson have done a fantastic job.

Ms MacTiernan said it should now be possible to re-introduce sheep to many properties, now that the wild dog problem had been addressed.