Petition Inquiry into koala management practices and the impact of the blue gum industry on koala populations

The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)’s recent covert aerial culling of approximately 750 koalas in Budj Bim National Park following a fire.

DEECA failed to provide key details on the decision for the aerial culling, including ethics approval, joeys affected, names of koala experts, credentials of shooters and the extent of vegetation loss. DEECA’s decision to limit wildlife rescue operations and proceed with aerial shooting, described as a ‘humane’ method, raises serious ethical and transparency concerns. The public was not informed and aerial culling has never been used in this context. Budj Bim National Park is surrounded by blue gum plantations that host significant koala populations. Once harvested, these koalas are displaced and will seek refuge in the park where, under current management strategies, they will be culled. For decades, DEECA has prioritised the plantation industry’s interests over the protection of koalas, without implementing adequate provisions for their long-term survival. This approach fundamentally contradicts DEECA’s mandate to safeguard biodiversity and uphold environmental stewardship. The practice of culling wildlife as a consequence of prolonged policy failure and mismanagement is both ethically indefensible and environmentally unsustainable. 

The recent justification for the culling, a supposed lack of food, raises further concerns. The Government must provide evidence and clearly outline how it intends to support koala populations in the park and plantations. We demand accountability, ethical action and a long-term strategy that puts animal welfare above industry.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to establish an independent inquiry into the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action’s aerial culling and broader koala management practices, including an investigation into the blue gum plantation industry's direct and indirect impacts on koalas, and immediately halt further harvesting in southwest Victoria until accurate, science-based population estimates are established in plantation areas.