Wednesday, 15 October 2025

 Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (09:51): Today I will have the privilege of hosting an event here in Parliament with a range of kangaroo advocates, experts and First Nations peoples whose cultures and stories are deeply connected to our kangaroos. Today these representatives, including Kangaroos Alive, Victorian Kangaroo Alliance and Animals Australia, will send a letter to the Premier and the Minister for Environment in the lead-up to World Kangaroo Day, calling for an immediate moratorium on commercial kangaroo killing in Victoria. The letter raises serious concerns about the government’s current approach to kangaroo management, particularly through commercial killing and the authority-to-control-wildlife system. It recognises the urgent need for policy reform, including the adoption of coexistence strategies, nonlethal management methods and genuine partnerships with traditional owners. Survey data reveals that 90 per cent of Australians want kangaroos to remain a visible part of the Australian landscape, and 98 per cent believe it is important to protect them. As this letter points out, even our Premier has acknowledged the need to explore nonlethal control mechanisms. I commend these kangaroo advocates for their tireless work and urge fellow members to seriously consider their calls for reform. Protecting our iconic kangaroos is not only a cultural and ecological imperative but just the right thing to do.