Thursday, 20 November 2025

 Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (12:26): (1154) My question is for the minister representing the Minister for Environment. Since 2017 Dunkeld residents have consistently reported feeling unsafe and intimidated by commercial shooting activities. There have been multiple horrific instances, including a severed kangaroo penis being left on a woman’s doorstep. Most recently, the day after what was a successful World Kangaroo Day advocacy event in the town, a commercial shooter came and killed five kangaroos, including a much-loved member of the community, on unfarmed land next to a yoga retreat. A local woman was home alone when kangaroo body parts were dumped approximately 350 metres from her front door. It was the first time in six months that she had felt comfortable staying home alone, only for the shooter to return and frighten her again. Can the minister advise what is being done to protect the wellbeing of Dunkeld residents from these ongoing and traumatic events?

 Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:27): I thank Ms Purcell for the question. I am not quite sure whether it is a question for the Minister for Environment or for the Minister for Police. Regardless, I will refer it to the Minister for Environment for a response, or indeed whether he decides to refer it to the Minister for Police.

 Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (12:28): Thank you, Minister. It is a good point, because we do find that the compliance measures are passed around between the different ministers and we constantly receive no outcomes, so I would be more than happy for either minister to provide a response to that one. Even more disturbing is that the shooter involved in this case is reportedly being paid under the $1.8 million drought assistance program, effectively a bounty-style system offering a $1350 subsidy to farmers to engage commercial shooters. This program was designed to provide genuine relief to farmers, yet it appears to be facilitating kangaroo killing on land that is not used for farming at all. How can a program meant to support struggling farmers be used to pay for kangaroo culling on non-farming land, and what safeguards does the government have to stop this kind of misuse of taxpayer funds?

 Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:29): I thank Ms Purcell for her supplementary question. I will refer that to the Minister for Environment. It does deal with a number of matters that may fall within other portfolio areas, but again that will be determined by the Minister for Environment.