The Hon. Beverley McArthur, Member for Western Victoria, Media Release, 12 March 2025
The Labor Government’s kangaroo harvesting quotas have been significantly reduced for 2025, exacerbating the escalating overpopulation crisis in Western Victoria.
Peter Riddle, a professional kangaroo harvester with 10 years of experience, was allocated just 50 tags for the first quarter of 2025.
In Parliament, Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur remarked that it is “barely enough to cover one and a half nights of work.
“Yet those same farms are overrun with thousands of kangaroos.”
Mr Riddle, who works across eight properties in Western Victoria Region, has criticised the current survey methodology used by the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action’s (DEECA) to estimate kangaroo populations.
According to professional kangaroo harvester Mr Riddle, he believes that the population estimate of 261,000 kangaroos in Barwon South West is inaccurate and does not reflect the reality on the ground.
“Peter believes the estimate you rely on to calculate the quota is completely inaccurate,” Mrs McArthur said.
“The methodology of counting kangaroos at dawn and dusk is simply wrong.
“Peter, who has likely spent more time studying these animals than anyone else in Victoria, argues that kangaroos hide during the day and only come out after dark.
“How can dawn or dusk counts capture that?”
It has been suggested that the use of thermal equipment at night would give a much more accurate result, a proposal Mrs McArthur fully supports.
“Peter’s insights are crucial – he knows more about these animals than anyone else, and his experience should be taken seriously,” Mrs McArthur added.
The impact of this growing kangaroo population is taking a significant toll on farmers.
Mrs McArthur said, “One farmer explained that without kangaroo harvesting, their 140-year-old business is under threat.
“They are investing in exclusion fencing but are bearing the full cost at $25,000 per kilometre.
“They are under extreme financial pressure, and without harvesting, their situation will only worsen.”
Mrs McArthur also pointed out the disconnect between DEECA’s estimates and the experience of local farmers saying, “None of Peter’s eight property owners have seen a surveyor, and they claim kangaroo numbers have doubled, not declined, since 2022.”
Mrs McArthur sharply criticised DEECA’s suggestion that farmers should be issued authority to control wildlife permits claiming, “it is absurd”.
“Instead of professional, humane, and sustainable shooting, farmers would likely be forced to shoot kangaroos themselves, leaving them to rot or serve as food for foxes, wild dogs, and cats.”
“The solution is simple: improve the survey methodology and increase the quotas for professional harvesters.
“The government needs to stop passing the buck and provide practical, professional solutions to help farmers manage this crisis.”
