Street terrified by marauding dogs
Residents’ warning ahead of Kokoda
A Gold Coast street is being terrorised by wild dogs, with one resident saying “It’s only a matter of time until someone gets killed”.
Neighbours along Mt Nimmel Rd, Springbrook say they are too afraid to walk outside after wild dogs killed numerous pet livestock, native wildlife and even attacked one resident.
Mellissa Thorpe said residents, including herself, had lodged numerous complaints to Gold Coast City Council and Division 9 councillor Glenn Tozer as far back as Christmas.
“One neighbour recently returned to his property and found several wallaby skeletons and carcasses,” the 53year-old said.
“He’s got about 10 acres of dense bushland. He comes home one weekend and found all these dead skeletons of wallabies on his property.
“Another neighbour got attacked last Friday. He was on his property and the dogs came out of the bushes. He kicked it and it sort of went away, but he got bruised and scratches from the dogs.”
John Hall said he had no choice but to lock his remaining sheep in a large chicken pen after the dogs killed four of them.
“And to make it worse they would have been all pregnant,” he said. “The wildlife is getting hammered badly up here. I heard a lady lost six sheep. My babies only last three days from death, to bones and skin.”
Mr Hall said he had since invested in adding more security cameras to his property but his main concern was for visitors and hikers – especially children – looking to do the Kokoda Challenge.
Ms Thorpe said a number of people were already frequenting the area in a bid to train ahead of the Challenge in July.
“We have people hiking up here all the time and they come alone – but it’s not safe alone up here,” she added.
“These dogs are not afraid. It’s just a matter of time before someone is killed.”
Mr Hall said schoolchildren looking to take part in the Challenge would especially be at risk and that some people had already had a few “bad run ins”.
Mr Tozer said while council conducted regular pest control processes on council property, they had no legal remit to conduct intervention on private or state property.
He said he was also aware residents from Austinville Valley and adjacent to Springbrook National Park were looking to petition the council to intervene.
“A common misconception is that council is responsible for pest management on private property,” he said.
“The law constrains us to our own public lands. Private property owners are responsible for managing pests on their own property.”
Mr Tozer said the council had provided dog traps to some residents, but that supply was limited.
Residents have called on council to erect signage to alert hikers to dangerous dogs in the area.