Wild dogs have returned to a 32 kilometre hole in the dog fence on the NSW-SA border, causing concerns for pastoralists on both sides.
Mulga Valley Station's Paul Martin said dog tracks were discovered along the 32km stretch on Thursday last week, the first time in several months any activity had been recorded.
It is a concerning and frustrating development for the sheep sector on both sides of the border, who have been pushing for the "missing link" in the dog fence chain to be repaired for five years alongside the NSW government project to extend the dog fence from Brougham's Gate, north west of Broken Hill, 260km to the River Murray.
The 32km component has been shrouded by delays and Mr Martin says only 8-10km had been completed, despite promises in February that the project would be done by mid-May.
"Drought killed off a lot of dogs and they moved north where a lot of the kangaroo population had migrated, but when you start getting rain it only takes time for the kangaroo numbers to build up, and when the kangaroo numbers build up the dogs move in," he said.
"The kangaroo numbers are up and we got our first set of dog tracks two days ago (Thursday last week) which is a huge concern."
While a change in the project's leader has led to some progress, pastoralists are still frustrated that a 'thoroughfare' for wild dogs exists.
"We don't want our animals to be torn apart by dogs - that's what it comes down to," Mr Martin said.
"These dogs don't just affect western NSW. All they have to do is walk around the corner and they're back on the east of the fence in Mulyungarie, SA, and then everyone inside the fence in SA is potentially impacted as well."
SA Dog Fence board chair Geoff Power said the development was concerning and threatened to undo the work done in SA, where close to 1200km of the dog fence has been either replaced, rebuilt or is under construction.
"We know that dogs don't know boundaries unless they hit a boundary," he said.
"That open hole in the fence is just a thoroughfare for dogs to go either way. It creates problems for both sides."
Mr Power said the hole should be fixed as soon as possible.
"If you've got one link of the chain that's not up to scratch, the chain's not much good," he said.
"We've put up about 1000kms of (new) fence and it's (the 32km hole) part of that chain."
Decreasing numbers of wild dogs trapped or shot inside the fence in SA emphasised the importance of the barrier as part of a wider effort, Mr Power said.
In 2018, roughly 1000 wild dogs were trapped and shot in SA. Only 40 have been shot or trapped this year.
The NSW government said much of the blame for the delay in fixing the 32km section lay at the feet of the previous coalition government.
A spokesperson for Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said the 32km section would be completed "later this year".
"After four years of promises by the former Nationals and Liberal Government to build a fence to fill the 32 km gap in the wild dog fence, it was the Minns NSW Government who started the construction late last year to get the job done," the spokesperson said.
"We are backing local pastoralists by getting this job done as soon as possible and will continue to engage with local landholders and stakeholders as the fence building progresses."
A SA government spokesperson said PIRSA was "working closely" with the extension project team and Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven had written to Ms Moriarty reiterating SA's support to finish the 32km section.
"The SA Dog Fence Board and SA pastoralists are strongly supportive of the NSW Government work to finish the first 32 km, and then to complete the proposed 260 km of new Dog Fence down the SA/NSW border," the spokesperson said.
