Wednesday, 29 July 2026

 Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Environment, Minister for Outdoor Recreation) (12:06): I rise today to update the house on the success of our net swap program across five metropolitan council areas, helping households replace illegal fruit tree netting with safer, wildlife-friendly alternatives. The wrong kind of fruit tree netting can have devastating consequences for our native wildlife. Inappropriate fruit tree netting is one of the major causes of injury and death for flying foxes in Victoria. It can also entangle birds and possums. Wildlife can suffer serious injuries when they become trapped and struggle to free themselves. That is why household fruit tree netting must have a mesh of 5 millimetres by 5 millimetres or less at full stretch. Through the net swap program, delivered between November and March, 614 illegal nets were surrendered by Melbourne households, 359 legal nets were provided to residents and around 450 kilograms of old netting was sent for recycling.

By removing illegal netting and replacing it with safe alternatives, this pilot has reduced a known and avoidable risk to birds, possums and flying foxes. This is exactly the kind of practical prevention that can save native animals before they need to be rescued or treated. It also helps residents understand that choices they make in their own backyards can have a direct impact on our wildlife. It shows what can be achieved when government, councils and households work together to prevent avoidable harm to native animals. I might give a shout-out to the councils that participated – Boroondara, Brimbank, Manningham, Merri-bek and Yarra – and delivered this program. I want to thank everyone. The message to all Victorians is clear: if you are protecting fruit trees at home, use wildlife-safe netting, check your trees regularly and make sure your netting is legal. Small changes in backyards can make a big difference in preventing serious harm to our wildlife.