Over 65,000 kangaroos have been targeted to be killed in Nillumbik and other areas within the Central region of the State Government’s Kangaroo Harvesting Program.

The Nillumbik community cares deeply for its native wildlife and wants to see it protected, and not killed. We have been absolutely horrified by the scale and intent of such a program and do not support the commercial killing of kangaroos within Nillumbik. We are calling on the Victorian Government to exclude Nillumbik Shire from the Kangaroo Harvesting Program IMMEDIATELY.

This is not an environmental program; it has enabled the establishment of a new agricultural industry. It incentivises killing native wildlife, for profit.

This new agricultural industry has no place in Nillumbik, the Green Wedge Shire. We do not have any broad-acre farming, with our few farms very small-scale. Nillumbik predominantly consists of lifestyle/recreational properties, some with horses and others under environmental covenants. Many are registered as “Land for Wildlife” properties, and we have numerous bushland reserves and parks in our Green Wedge.

Therefore, the vast majority of Nillumbik residents and visitors welcome kangaroos as part of the natural environment - an important and loved local asset.

UPDATE: Following many months of strong community pressure, in November 2023 the Victorian Government proposed to remove Nillumbik from the program, from 2025. While this is terrific, hundreds if not thousands of healthy kangaroos could be commercially slaughtered in Nillumbik before then.

We call on the Victorian Government to remove Nillumbik Shire from the Kangaroo Harvesting Program IMMEDIATELY.