It is a dingo not a dog and as entitled to protection as any other native species, and yet the Wild Dog Management plan makes it legal to kill.

While not yet as close to extinction as the koala, the genetically pure dingo is listed as a vulnerable species in many parts of Australia, especially in South East NSW.

In the area around Mt Gulaga its disappearance is noted with alarm by Indigenous people who regard it as a totem animal. The blame here partly lies on the fact that the area has been re-zoned to allow further logging.

Decline in dingo numbers is also of concern to scientists, and conservationists who appreciate the dingo as a unique species superbly adapted to life in the wild, where it has survived for thousands of years. As an apex predator it now keeps feral animals such as of cats, foxes, goats and rabbits in check and so helps to preserve a healthy eco-system.

How much longer will it survive when it is threatened by climate change, habitat destruction, and killing by humans?

The federal government is hastening the demise of this splendid mammal by initiating a wild dog/dingo management plan without taking pains to consider alternative ways to protect farmers' livestock, or to supervise the way this plan is interpreted and implemented. It has been left up to the individual states to determine how the overarching plan is executed, and whether to pay more than lip-service to the idea of giving protection to the dingo.

While the federal government claims in its plan to recognise the significance of the dingo no steps are being taken to ensure dingoes are not among the unfortunate dogs trapped, poisoned or shot as the result of the extermination plan. We will not even know after the killing how many of the surviving pure-blooded dingoes have been killed.

The poorly devised "management" plan has led to such barbaric practices as

the awarding of a bounty payment of $120 per scalp for dog/dingoes shot by amateur hunters in Victoria;

use of 1080 poison which causes such agonising animal deaths it is banned in most countries; and

removal of "protected" status to dingoes in WA so they can be killed without any attempt to distinguish them from wild dogs.

All this is permitted under the auspices of a federal government which shows little concern for the natural environment.

The election result calls for system change. How is it possible that after six years of chaos and non-performance on climate change policies the system delivers majority government to the Coalition?

Yes, the salesman/politicians made the best of a virtually unelectable record but the nation can now expect more of the same. The centre remains virtually unrepresented, the ABC could be privatised, the inequality is bound to grow and Adani will go ahead.

Australia's preferential Single Member District System is primarily responsible for this disaster. Proportional Representation - Party List is used in 90 other countries. It delivers representative government.

The election just held was claimed by some to be the "climate change election".

We have a government which has failed to develop and implement policies to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

Perhaps it's time for all of us to change our behavior and take action at a personal and community level?

Consider your next car purchase being an electric or hybrid one.

Buy local.

Grow some vegetables.

Reduce the distance and frequency of car use.

Do you really need that overseas holiday?

People power addressed the littering problem with Clean Up Australia.

Can people power show our governments the way with climate change action?

Let's give it a go.

Waiting for governments to "do something" may not work.