Thursday, 15 May 2025

Western Victoria Region

Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (12:38): My question is to the Minister for Environment. The iconic growling grass frog listed as a species threatened with extinction within the Melbourne Strategic Assessment (Environment Mitigation Levy) Act 2020. Once widespread, it has experienced significant decline in population due to habitat loss, disease and other factors, becoming locally extinct in some areas. The Lake Connewarre complex, a RAMSAR-listed wetland, supports a population of the growling grass frog, and yet at Hospital Swamp duck hunters are permitted to carry out their season within this internationally recognised waterway. Shooters pose a significant risk to the population by damaging and degrading breeding and overwintering habitat, as well as spreading fungus, a deadly threat to the growling grass frog. Minister, will you close Hospital Swamp wetlands to duck hunting immediately for this season and all future seasons to ensure the conservation of this highly vulnerable species?