Dingoes are the only native animal in NSW not protected under the Biodiversity Conservation Act. They are shot, trapped, and poisoned. Experts have warned that the government's 1080 poison program could wipe out dingoes entirely. Dingoes are confident, intelligent, and strong-willed animals. They are sentient, and yet they are being persecuted under laws that have no place in a modern, compassionate society.

The NSW Legislative Council's Animal Welfare Committee, chaired by Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst, has launched an inquiry into the management and cultural and ecological significance of dingoes in national parks in NSW. This is a significant opportunity to put dingo protection on the parliamentary record.

The inquiry will cover the genetic status of dingoes, the cultural significance of dingoes for First Nations communities, the legislative frameworks governing their management, and the impact of current government policies, including lethal control programs. You can read the full terms of reference below.

⌛ Submissions close: Friday 17 July 2026

📃 View the Inquiry Details here and the Terms of Reference here.

Who should make a submission?

Everyone! You do not need to be an expert or an NSW resident to make a submission. If you care about animals and want their welfare represented in this inquiry, your voice belongs on the record.

Dingoes need your voice

Dingoes are shot, trapped, and poisoned, despite their cultural significance to many traditional custodians and their sentience. This inquiry is one of the most important opportunities we have had to challenge what is happening to dingoes in NSW right now.

Tips for Making a Submission

Use your own words. Submissions written in your own voice carry more weight than copied text.

Focus on what matters to you. Whether that is the cruelty of lethal management, the fact that dingoes are unprotected under NSW law, or simply that you believe native animals deserve better.

You do not need to be an expert. You are not expected to reference reports or technical studies. Decision-makers must consider community concern, lived values, and ethical responsibility alongside technical assessments.

Keep it relevant to the inquiry. Focus on dingo welfare, management practices, their ecological role, and the need for legislative protection.

Short submissions still matter. There is no minimum length. What matters is that animals are represented on the public record.

Submission Guide

Your submission can cover your concerns about how dingoes are currently managed in NSW national parks, and call on the NSW Government to extend legislative protection to dingoes and move away from lethal control methods, including 1080 poisoning, baiting, and shooting.

Example Submission

I am writing to make a submission to the inquiry into dingoes in national parks in New South Wales.

In NSW, dingoes are the only native animal not protected under the Biodiversity Conservation Act. This is wrong, and this inquiry is an opportunity to fix it. I am concerned by the use of 1080 poison, baiting, trapping, and shooting to manage dingoes in national parks. These are cruel practices being applied to sentient animals, and they have no place in a modern approach to wildlife management. I urge the committee to recommend that dingoes be given full legislative protection in NSW and that lethal control methods be replaced with humane, non-lethal alternatives.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your suburb/town, optional] 

ℹ️ More Resources 

Defend the Wild has put together an in-depth submission guide for this inquiry, covering dingo facts, research, and guidance on what you could include in your submission.

Click Here to View Defend the Wild Submission Guide

Ways to personalise your submission

Here are some opening and closing statement options tailored to different perspectives. Feel free to use and adapt whichever best reflects your voice. For the body of your submission, you can draw on facts, research, and detailed guidance from the Defend the Wild submission guide linked above.

👉 Opening Statement Options

1. "I am writing because I believe dingoes deserve full protection under NSW law. The current exemption from the Biodiversity Conservation Act is unjustifiable, and this inquiry must address it."
   
2. "I am writing out of concern for the welfare of dingoes in NSW national parks. The use of 1080 poison, baiting, trapping, and shooting against dingoes is cruel and must end."
   
3. "I am an NSW resident, and I am concerned about the treatment of dingoes in our national parks. Dingoes deserve protection under NSW law, and the current approach to managing them does not reflect the values of a compassionate community."
   
4. "I live near national parks and care about the Dingoes that call them home. The ongoing persecution of dingoes in these spaces concerns me, and I urge the committee to act."

👉 Closing Statement Options

Below are a range of closing statement examples, each tailored to different perspectives. Feel free to use or adapt whichever one best reflects your voice.

1. Animal Welfare Advocate: "Dingoes are sentient animals, and the cruelty of current management practices, including 1080 poisoning, baiting, trapping, and shooting, cannot be justified. I urge the committee to recommend full legislative protection for dingoes and the immediate move away from all harmful and lethal control methods."
   
2. Conservation-focused: "NSW's current approach to dingo management is out of step with modern, evidence-based wildlife management. I urge the committee to recommend that lethal practices be replaced with humane, non-lethal alternatives that allow dingoes to exist safely within our national parks."
   
3. General Community Member: "Poisoning, trapping, and shooting animals is wrong. Dingoes deserve better than what NSW law currently offers them. I urge the committee to recommend that dingoes be protected and that lethal practices be replaced with humane, non-lethal alternatives."
   
4. Not an NSW Resident: "I do not live in NSW, but I care about how Australia treats animals and its native wildlife. What happens to dingoes in NSW matters to all of us, regardless of where we live. I urge the committee to recommend that dingoes be given full legislative protection and that lethal management methods be replaced with humane, non-lethal alternatives."

📅 Submission closes 17 July 2026. Don't wait.

Need help with writing or lodging your submission?

Email us: [email protected]

Want to do more for animals, people and the planet? 🐾🌏❤️

Wins and progress for animals takes sustained work, and so does keeping Emma elected and fighting for animals in parliament. As a minor party, we rely entirely on the support of people who care. 

Every dollar donated goes toward re-electing Emma in 2027 and continuing the fight for animals in NSW parliament.