Almost 10,000 kangaroo-related collisions were reported last year amid calls for a better kangaroo management strategy.
Anyone driving between Corowa and Rutherglen at night sees first hand evidence of the increasing risk of kangaroo strikes on the roads.
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Aerial and ground surveys taken last year estimate Victoria’s kangaroo population to be more than 2.4 million with 771,000 of those in the Hume region.
The figure represents a 24 per cent increase over the last previous survey in 2020 prompting calls for urgent action to manage the numbers.
The RACV and Wildlife Victoria reported almost 10,000 kangaroo-related collisions last year, but the real number was likely to be much higher as many go unreported.
The impact on the farms is immense as kangaroos in their thousands compete with livestock for feed and water and damage fences as they pass through agricultural land.
Member for Northern Victoria, Gaelle Broad is calling for a better kangaroo management strategy across the region amid increasing vehicle crashes, train strikes and damage to farms.
She said sustainable harvesting provided a way to manage kangaroo numbers while also unlocking a valuable source of leather and meat.
Nationals Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad had advocated for sustainable kangaroo harvesting to manage increasing numbers and unlock a valuable source of leather and meat.
Photo by
JIM ALDERSEY
As of May 2024, Australia’s commercial kangaroo industry was the largest commercial land-based wildlife trade on the planet.
Kangaroo leather is known for its exceptional quality, with a tight grain structure that develops a rich patina that improves over time.
Kangaroo meat has been attributed to a range of health benefits.
It is high in protein (23.2 per cent) and low in fat (2.6 per cent) with a high concentration of conjugated linoleic acid when compared with other foods.
“Kangaroo leather is renowned for its strength, lightness and durability,” Ms Broad said.
“It is widely used in footwear, gloves and sporting goods, where strong, lightweight leather is important.”
“The pressure on agricultural land is growing … our communities are doing their best to coexist with native wildlife, but it is time for a more balanced and proactive approach that prioritises community safety.”
Surveys last year estimate 2.4 million kangaroos in Victoria, a 24 per cent increase in numbers since the previous survey in 2020.
Photo by
Andrew Haysom
Last month the Victorian Government announced funding of $1.8 million to support farmers to manage kangaroos on their property.
Drought-affected farmers with livestock competing with kangaroos for fodder can apply for rebates to engage professional shooters under an approved authority to control wildlife (ATCW).
Ms Broad said whilst this program can assist farmers and help reduce numbers, more was needed to be done.
“For anyone who drives on regional roads, especially in the early morning or after 5pm, it is like driving through a minefield,” she said.
“You do not know when a kangaroo will jump into your headlights, and the consequences can be devastating.”
“Kangaroo-related vehicle collisions are the most common wildlife hazards on our roads.
“These incidents are particularly dangerous for motorcyclists, who are over-represented in fatal crashes.”
Victoria’s only Animal Justice Party representative in the Legislative Council is Georgie Purcell whose views are diabolically opposed to those of Ms Broad.
Animal Justice Party's member for Northern Victoria Georgie Purcell has a priority to stop commercial kangaroo slaughter.
“The reality is that Jacinta Allan’s kangaroo cull quotas are far too large that they are not even being met, so this proposal from the Nationals to kill even more roos doesn’t exactly stack up,” Ms Purcell said.
“As is often the case with the Nationals Party, if something is a nuisance, their solution is to just shoot it.
“We need to learn to coexist with our iconic wildlife, who were here long before us.
“This is exactly why I’m proposing sustainable, long-term options.”
Ms Purcell ran for office with a priority to stop commercial kangaroo slaughter and instigated the current Victorian Parliamentary Enquiry into wildlife road strikes.
The Enquiry attracted 467 submissions and will investigate the capacity of legislation and regulation to monitor wildlife road strike, promote driver education and raise public awareness.
It will also examine the impact on major trauma incidents, the involvement and training of paid and volunteer rescue and rehabilitative organisations, and new and emerging technologies and infrastructure used to prevent road strikes.
“The Nationals are part of this process, and I hope they will learn some evidence-based solutions over knee jerk reactions,” Ms Purcell said.
A final report to Parliament is due on November 30, 2025.
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