Opponents to the reintroduction of dingoes and wild dogs into Victoria say they haven't received an adequate response from the government over their concerns.
In April, Rock-Bank Merino and Poll Merino stud principals John and Rhonda Crawford, Victoria Valley, organised a meeting in Dunkeld for farmers fearful the reintroduction will put livestock in danger.
A motion passed at the meeting endorsed the Crawfords to write to Premier Daniel Andrews and other senior ministers stating "complete opposition" to a proposal from the Inquiry into Ecosystems Decline report to reintroduce dingoes into "suitable Victorian ecosystems" as well as phasing out 1080 baits.
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) executive director James Todd responded to the letter and reaffirmed the state government's commitment to dingo conservation.
The letter says the dingo was a protected and threatened species and had "an important role as an apex predator in the natural environment".
"It is both culturally important to Aboriginal people and valued as an iconic Australian species," Mr Todd said in his letter.
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Ms Crawford said the response meant the proposal to release dingoes was still on the cards.
"When we read [the letter] we thought, nothing's altered [and] it's still on the agenda," she said.
She said she forwarded the response to the attendees of the meeting, as well as Opposition Agriculture spokesperson Peter Walsh and other local MPs.
"They don't want us to kick up a big stink... and we feel like the government is just sitting on it like they did with the native logging [decision] and lots of other reports." she said.
"They just time it to when they run it to come out and don't want bad publicity."
The letter was a reply to the meeting's letter to Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio, and no replies came from any other government MP.
It also defined feral and wild dogs as pests, and noted that balancing dingo conservation and the protection of livestock from wild dog predation was important, and more consultations would continue with landholders, academic institutions and Traditional Owners.
Earlier this year academics found the genomic sequencing of purebred dingoes meant it prevented them from attacking farm animals, which Ms Crawford said will make livestock production "very complicated for farmers".
Mr Walsh said the state government needed to make its position clear.
"The Andrews Labor Government is dressing this wolf of a policy up in sheep's clothing with its failure to unequivocally rule it out," Mr Walsh said.
"Parks Victoria noted significant concerns by local communities and the farming sector in its consultation which left no room for doubt - this policy must be scrapped.
"Rather than spending taxpayer's money introducing more predators into the mix, the Andrews Labor Government should be properly investing in controlling pest animals and proactive programs to stop the spread of weeds."
When contacted by Stock & Land, a DELWP spokesperson said that the dingo was protected.
"There are no current plans to reintroduce dingoes into any part of Victoria," the spokesperson said.
"In Victoria, the dingo is listed as a threatened species under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and is protected wildlife under the Wildlife Act 1975.
"The dingo has an important role as an apex predator in the natural environment."
