Thursday, 21 March 2024

Northern Victoria Region

Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (12:52): (775) My constituency question is for the Minister for Environment. Northern Victorians regularly contact me with their outrage over the kangaroo harvest management plan. Shootings occur near houses, bodies are left behind and people are fearing for their safety following an expansion into public lands, kangaroos’ last remaining haven. Unpaid local wildlife rescuers are being called out to injured kangaroos who are victims of this senseless government-sanctioned killing. The government undertook public consultation for the 2024–28 kangaroo harvest management plan, and finally last week Victorians received the summary report. Unsurprisingly, it tells us that the community had overwhelming concerns with every single aspect of this barbaric slaughter, but not a single thing was actioned in the final report. Northern Victoria has one of the largest shooting quotas, and Mount Alexander shire and Macedon Ranges shire have consistently appealed for exclusion zoning. My constituents want to know what it will take for this government to listen to their concerns.