Case Study: Mount Mee Wild Dog Program—Moreton Bay Shire, Queensland

Abstract

The Mount Mee wild dog case study describes a local government program that supports local landholders to participate in coordinated control. The Mount Mee example shows how local government leadership can support landholders to increase participation in wild dog control. Making it easy for landholders to participate is identified as the most important ingredient for success in this case. The local government program demonstrates a commitment to respectful communication with landholders and develops procedures to build relationships across the region. Council staff use local wild dog data to engage landholders in conversation, integrating scientific expertise with locally produced knowledge. This approach has created a safe and embracing culture that is shown to nurture community participation. By reducing the administrative and regulatory burden on individual landholders and community leaders, local government enables responsible and motivated members of the community to focus on building relationships, sharing information and creating a norm of civic duty and participation amongst their neighbours. The local council’s willingness to act for the public good creates political and social capital that leads to a generally supportive and encouraging atmosphere for wild dog control. The needs of the farming community, local government and state agencies have become aligned with the aspiration to make a civic contribution to the wider public good.