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Families with children should be banned from camping in unfenced areas on K'gari (Fraser Island) to protect them from dingo attacks, a Queensland mayor says.
Nine of the past 16 "high-risk" dingo attacks this year have involved children under the age of 17, according to data from the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation.
The latest involved a four-year-old girl, who was flown to hospital after a dingo bit her across the chest earlier this month.
The rising number of incidents has prompted Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour to write to the state government, calling for families with children under 12 to be restricted to fenced-in zones of the island.
"This is getting to the stage where it is frightening, whether the next one will be a fatality or not," Cr Seymour said.
"I just don't think that it is an appropriate place for children to be, given the number of attacks, the changing nature of attacks, and the potential for a fatality here."
Fraser Coast Regional Council Mayor George Seymour fears the next dingo attack on K'gari could be fatal. (ABC Wide Bay: Lucy Loram)
Minister for the Environment Leanne Linard told the ABC visitors to K'gari under the age of 14 were already advised to camp in areas with dingo-deterrent fencing.
"The risk is not isolated to camping areas," Ms Linard said.
"People must remain vigilant on the island at all times."
Response from tourists
Dingo-deterrent fencing surrounds all townships on K'gari and several campgrounds, including Waddy Point and Cornwells.
Austrian tourist Dorris Schmalwieser believed families should be free to stay where they wanted — even though her family stayed at Kingfisher, a resort surrounded by dingo fencing, during their holiday on K'gari.
"I was a bit scared but now we think we will just stay in a group and hopefully everything will be fine," Ms Schmalwieser said.
"We just told the children not to feed dingoes or go anywhere on their own, so hopefully we will be fine."
Austrian tourist Dorris Schmalwieser says she opted to stay at Kingfisher Resort, which is surrounded by dingo fencing, with her family. (ABC Wide Bay: Lucy Loram)
Terry Sheehan, who regularly visited K'gari from the Sunshine Coast, said he understood the mayor's concerns.
"I think [restrictions] would be fair because the dingoes are a part of [the island]" he said.
"If you walked up to a tiger and patted him, what would happen? He'd tear you to pieces. It's a wild animal too."
Sunshine Coast tourist Terry Sheehan says camping restrictions are fair to protect children from wild animals. (ABC Wide Bay: Lucy Loram)
'Hard to police'
The world-heritage-listed island of K'gari draws an estimated 400,000 people each year for day tours, resort stays, or camping trips, making it a big driver of the local economy.
In 2022–23, visitors to the Fraser Coast region spent $730 million, according to data from Queensland Tourism.
Synonymous with the island's rugged beauty, the iconic native dingo, known traditionally as Wongari, is part of the attraction, but also poses a danger.
Among the past 16 "high-risk" interactions recorded by rangers this year, victims were lunged at, nipped, or bitten.
"When families go over there, they are told that they need to keep children within arm's length of them at all times — now, that doesn't make for a fun experience, either for the children or the parents," Cr Seymour said.
The Queensland government has installed dingo-deterrent fencing around all of K'gari's townships and several campsites. (ABC News: Kerrin Binnie)
Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation ranger Darren Blake said the entire island could be enjoyed by families as long as parents remained vigilant.
"It would be really hard to police having restrictions for children under 12," Mr Blake said.
"It's really up to the parents to decide if they want to go in a fenced area or not.
"I'll be over there these next holidays. My kids are going to have a good time, but I'll be on the watchout.
"If you really want to relax, go to the Sunny Coast or Gold Coast … where you don't have wild dingoes coming out on the beach."
Butchulla ranger Darren Blake says parents must keep children close at all times on K'gari. (ABC Wide Bay: Lucy Loram)
Ms Linnard urged all visitors to be dingo safe and warned of on-the-spot fines for people doing the wrong thing.
"It is also vital that everyone follows the rules, thereby reducing habituation of dingoes and decreasing the risk of attack," she said.
Nine of the 16 "high-risk" attacks recorded on K'gari this year have involved children. (Supplied: DES)
The mayor said he would rather see young families holiday elsewhere than risk their safety.
"If there is a reduction, and I think there needs to be a reduction, in the number of people camping [on K'gari], that is a good thing," he said.
"My concern is for the safety of children and the preservation of wilderness."