Kangaroos controlled under an Authority to Control Wildlife permit can no longer be processed for pet food under the state government changes.
“Removing kangaroos culled under a permit is utter stupidity,” Ms Ryan said.
“By forcing farmers to leave kangaroos carcases on the ground, the Andrews Government is creating a smorgasboard for wild dogs and foxes.
“This decision is another example of how little this city-centric Labor government understands the challenges farmers and landholders are facing.”
Ms Ryan said the kangaroo pet food program set up by the Nationals had gone through five years of delayed extensions and uncertainty under Premier Daniel Andrews.
“The Andrews Government now says it will set up seven ‘sustainable harvesting areas’ instead for pet food, which is almost guaranteed to be strangled by bureaucracy and red tape,” she said.
“Even though the revised program is supposed to start this week, no-one knows what the seven regions are or how sustainable yields have been set.
“At the heart of this decision is the fact that Labor don’t like this program and they don’t want it to work.
“The Andrews Government is shutting this program down by stealth at a time when farmers are under immense pressure from increased kangaroo numbers.”
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