Thursday, 20 March 2025

Native bird hunting

Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (12:05): (862) My question is for the minister representing the Minister for Outdoor Recreation. Native stubble quail shooting season is set to commence on private and public land across our state in just a matter of weeks. There is no long-term, consistent, robust, scientific, independent quantitative data on stubble quail populations in Victoria. The best available evidence is just two counts, which have shown a 20 per cent decline in quail populations. It is highly likely that due to overall waterbird decline, drought conditions and loss of habitat quail numbers are now concerningly low. The regulator should be making decisions based on the best available evidence, but for quail we literally just do not have it. What is worse is that quail shooting takes place during their known breeding season, which goes against longstanding advice from the CSIRO. How can the government justify a full quail-shooting season without long-term population data?

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:06): I thank Ms Purcell for her question – in fact her many questions around quails. These matters will be referred to the Minister for Outdoor Recreation for a response.

Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (12:07): Thank you, Minister, for referring it on. The critically endangered plains-wanderer, of which there are approximately 200 left in the wild, look very similar to stubble quail. Quail shooting is a known threat to the plains-wanderer, as evidenced in the national recovery plan for the plains-wanderer. There are no mandatory species identification tests in place for existing quail shooters. What signs would the minister be relying on to approve a stubble quail shooting season given these circumstances?

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:07): I thank Ms Purcell again for her supplementary question. These are matters that are connected to her substantive question, and they will be referred to the Minister for Outdoor Recreation.