Thursday, 18 June 2026

 Jeff BOURMAN (Eastern Victoria) (12:31): (1370) My question too is for the Minister for Environment – a busy week. This week Landcare Victoria was in Queen’s Hall calling for, amongst other things, greater support to manage the environmental impacts of deer. Similar concerns were also recently aired at a deer forum in my electorate. Unfortunately, some organisations, particularly the Invasive Species Council and the VNPA, continue to tell Landcare and local communities that support for deer management can only occur if deer are first declared pests under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. This presents Victorians with a false choice: either abandon a lawful and highly regulated game management framework or do nothing. Will the minister work with the Minister for Agriculture to adjust grant criteria, funding guidelines and other administrative settings so Landcare and community groups can access support for practical deer management and environmental restoration without requiring deer to be declared a pest?

 Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Environment, Minister for Outdoor Recreation) (12:32): I thank Mr Bourman for his question and his interest in this important matter. I know Mr Bourman is on record doing a bit of myth busting in this space, so thank you for raising this issue. I think Landcare volunteers do extraordinary work across our state restoring habitat, protecting waterways and bringing local communities together to care for the places they know best. Our government has proudly backed Landcare for a number of years through the Victorian Landcare grants and the Landcare facilitator program, which supports local groups and networks to deliver practical, on-the-ground environmental work.

We recognise that escalating deer populations are a major and complex challenge to our state, and they do pose a significant risk to biodiversity, to water culture, to Aboriginal cultural heritage and to public safety as well. That is why our approach is clear and pragmatic: given the scale and distribution of deer across our state, eradication is not the goal. Instead we are focused on reducing the impacts of deer where it matters most and protecting high-value environmental, agricultural and community assets.

To get to your particular question about working with the Minister for Agriculture, I am always happy to work constructively with my ministerial colleagues, as we already do – in particular the Minister for Agriculture – in relation to the relevant grants or initiatives we have to make sure that they are achieving the environmental outcomes we are seeking and they are achieving the goals of government. So I am happy to work with the Minister for Agriculture. We will always make sure we protect regional communities and farmers, unlike those opposite, and we will continue to in this work.

Members interjecting.

 Jeff BOURMAN (Eastern Victoria) (12:34): I thank the minister for his answer. Just for those listening, if you declare deer a pest, you will be able to shoot less of them. You can have your own opinions; you cannot have your own facts. Minister, can you identify the actual legal provision preventing Landcare or catchment management authorities from funding deer impact mitigation whilst deer remain game animals, or is this simply a case of community groups being encouraged to pursue a political objective instead of being offered a practical solution?

 Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Environment, Minister for Outdoor Recreation) (12:34): I thank Mr Bourman for his supplementary question. I think it is clear that the classification of certain deer species as game under the Wildlife Act does not prevent control when deer are causing damage on public or private land. I know there are some that have different views, but there is nothing preventing land managers – they are no longer required to get an authority to control wildlife to manage deer, except for hog deer, as we know. Subject to conditions under relevant orders, controls remain available to public and private land managers using both recreational and professional methods where deer impacts are significant. Farmers are often on the front line of pest animal impacts, and they see the damage caused by wild dogs, deer, rabbits, pigs and other invasive species. We take those concerns very seriously. There is nothing preventing people, and the classification of certain deer as game does not prevent control. I want to be very clear on that. I think that is an important myth to bust in this chamber today.