May 3, 2011
contact@vcec.vic.gov.au
cc glen.hepburn@vcec.vic.gov.au cc Greg Hunt MP
Re: Victorian Farmers' Federation call for deregulation of legislation to allow a commercial kangaroo
industry in Victoria is irresponsible! How can our government even consider such an already proven
economically unviable suggestion? DSE cannot provide a statewide scientific population count/analysis
to ensure the genetic integrity /variability of kangaroos or that their very survival is not compromised!!
Victoria has no fauna management framework.
Submission to the Victorian
Competition & Efficiency Commission (VCEC)
from Maryland Wilson, President
Retain Ban on Kangaroo processing
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Perfectly adapted to their environment, kangaroos have lived harmoniously and in
balance with their environment for more than 16 million years. Kangaroos are integral
to the ecological health of Australia as regenerators of native grasses;
they eat dry grasses and prevent bushfires
Any seedling that falls into the long-tapering footprint of the kangaroo is buried into the
hole left by the toenail. Covered and with moisture concentrated at one point, the
germinated seedling has a chance of survival.
Their long tail drags along behind them while they are grazing, pressing the ground,
rolling seeds into the earth. Kangaroos play an undeniable role in ecosystem
functioning. Their urine and faeces is a natural fertilizer.
Victoria needs a vibrant healthy kangaroo population, protected by its people, not
fragmented urban sprawl or farcical Authority to Control Wildlife (ATCW) permits.
Kangaroos have intrinsic value; they are not a commodity to be bartered / sold.
Kangaroos are sentient living, behaving, biological entities, capable of feeling pain and
suffering. Female and baby kangaroos have as close a bond as that of primates. They do
not exist to be exploited.
We need to repair and reconnect bio-links to save
remaining species from extinction; farmers can help!
Victoria needs to protect its’ biodiversity/ecosystems/ wildlife
Victoria has cleared more land than any other State.
Australian Wildlife Protection Council Inc
KINDNESS HOUSE, 2nd Floor, 288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia
TEL: 03 5978 8570 FAX: 03 5978 8302 MOB: 0417 148 501
kangaroo@hotkey.net.au
www.awpc.org.au
www.rootourism.com.au
Patrons: Professor Peter Singer and the Hon Richard Jones Registered Charity: A0012224D
Our ‘common’ wildlife may be the next ‘sleeping’ threatened species Daniel
Ramp and Erin Rogers School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales,
Sydney, NSW, Australia April 2009
“Kangaroos and wombats play
vital roles in ecosystem
functioning but are often
victimised and treated with
lack of concern because of
socio-political factors and
historical value judgements,
rather than heeding biological
and ecological information.”
Dr Dan Ramp, USW
***
Photo by Brett Clifton
In memory of Calli RIP~
Only 25% of joeys (baby
kangaroos) survive in the wild
Table of Contents
1. DSE data base fails threatened species
2. Roads as a Threatening process
3. Human induced threats and self-limiting factors control kangaroo populations
4. Genetic variability / Wildlife Corridors and to re-connect bio-links to save species
5. Climate change/ population growth driving species to extinction
6. DSE has a Duty of Care -Kangaroos are not a Commodity to be bartered and sold
1. It costs $480 to provide an Authority to Control Wildlife permit to kill kangaroos on a property.
2. If farmers had to pay for a permit they would think twice before applying for a DSE ATCW.
3. There would then be funds/resources for properties to be properly assessed to prove legitimate’
reasons for so-called damage. At present such ostensible ‘damage’ is not proven or audited.
4. We know that overwhelmingly, it is mostly ‘hobby farmers’ who seek ATCW permits.
5. We seek Regulations for ATCW permits to be issued only to landowners whose sole income is
from legitimate farming, as opposed to ‘hobby’ farmers for tax deductibility write offs.
6. Left just with the sole income farmers, this becomes an area that needs education/ awareness
of productive farming in harmony with biodiversity and ecosystems; Learn to live with wildlife.
7. This is the only way to stop the ethically, morally and humanely deficient and farcical practice
of DSE issuing ATCW kill kangaroo Permits in Victoria.
8. Prove that the ATCW permits DSE gives away like candy are legitimate, with tight conditions
9. This is particularly pertinent to wildlife carers who already suffer from ATCW permits given to
adjoining landowners placing at risk the very kangaroos they have a license to hand rear.
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Currently a landowner does not have to pay a fee for an ATCW permit to be issued to them
Under the current system it costs Victorian tax payers for landowners to kill protected
kangaroos without their say or consent; (yet taxpayers have to pay hefty $$$ for FOI)
Why then is this cost not passed onto the landowner if they are benefitting from it?
Australian Wildlife Protection Council Inc
KINDNESS HOUSE, 2nd Floor, 288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia
TEL: 03 5978 8570 FAX: 03 5978 8302 MOB: 0417 148 501
kangaroo@hotkey.net.au
www.awpc.org.au
www.rootourism.com.au
Patrons: Professor Peter Singer and the Hon Richard Jones Registered Charity: A0012224D
1. DSE data base fails kangaroos and threatened species
In Victoria 2006, Executive Director Dr Ian Miles arranged for Department of Sustainability and Environment
(DSE ) Adrian Moorrees, Project Manager, Actions for Biodiversity Conservation (ABC), Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Services Division to demonstrate to AWPC, the DSE Actions Biodiversity Conservation (ABC)
Data Base system. We discovered that ”DSE uses an inadequate Victoria-wide definition of ‘threatened’
which means that local populations can be extinguished without sounding the alarm so long as some numbers
remain for the whole state ; pockets where animals appear numerous, due to fragmented populations trapped in
small areas, are not assigned official “threatened” status. Little effective tab is kept of numbers. More and
more native species simply vanish,
Australian Wildlife Protection Council,
Sheila Newman ~ Environmental Sociologist and Land Use Planner
Australian Wildlife Protection Council Inc
KINDNESS HOUSE, 2nd Floor, 288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia
TEL: 03 5978 8570 FAX: 03 5978 8302 MOB: 0417 148 501
kangaroo@hotkey.net.au
www.awpc.org.au
www.rootourism.com.au
Patrons: Professor Peter Singer and the Hon Richard Jones Registered Charity: A0012224D
Wildlife in the Gun –DSE issues 80,000 animal control permits
Herald Sun Sunday October 21, 2006 by Sarah Wotherspoon Environment reporter
“Thousands of permits to kill, trap and scare wildlife, including wombats, parrots, lorikeets and wallabies have been
issued by the state government. One of Australia’s official national symbols, the kangaroo, tops the list of animals
approved for destruction or scaring with 1232 permits issued to deal with 41, 378 eastern grey kangaroos- etc.
Documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws show that the Department of Sustainability and Environment
(DSE) issued 2389 permits to control more than 80, 400 animals and birds.
Landowners may apply to the DSE for Authority to Control Wildlife permits, which allow them to trap, relocate, scare or
destroy problem birds and animals. Despite requests, the DSE said it could not provide the Herald Sun with a breakdown
of permits type.” Photo by Stella Reid
Australian Wildlife Protection Council president,
Maryland Wilson said the DSE had a duty of care
to protect Victorian wildlife.
“How long do they think this killing spree can go on? It’s past
the point of no return.” Ms Wilson said. “They are meant to
protect our wildlife heritage, not destroy it and it has to stop.”
Species
Numbers of permits issued
Eastern grey kangaroo
1232
Maned duck
90
Western grey kangaroo
93
Musk lorikeet
25
Swamp wallaby
143
Common wombat
121
Emu
79
Crimson rosella
22
Rainbow lorikeet
11
Black swan
9
Yellow rosella
11
Red kangaroo
9
Laughing kookaburra
5
Common brushtail possum
3
King parrot
2
Wedge-tailed eagle
1
Figures over period from July 1,2005 to July 21, 2006
Kanga cull shot down by protest Herald Sun
Animals allowed to be controlled
41, 378
3, 994
2, 891
2, 240
1, 654
1, 587
972
503
400
184
145
125
85
30
26
2
September 27, 2006 by Geraldine Mitchell
An elite Melbourne school had been given government permission to shoot 20 kangaroos and 20 deer.
The permits issued by the Department of Sustainability and Environment, would allow a licensed shooter to
lure the kangaroos and deer into a fenced area where they would be killed. Caulfield Grammar School’ Earth
Studies campus at Yarra Junction claims wildlife was grazing in the school grounds and eating pasture required
for its livestock. It claimed the numbers of kangaroos and deer had increased dramatically over the past six years.
But outraged neighbours and wildlife groups have forced the school to back away from its plan. Woori Yallock
Farm school teacher and former president of the Australian Wildlife Protection Council, Peter Preuss said locals
were distressed at the plan to shoot the wildlife. Peter rejected claims of a population explosion cited by DSE:
“There’s only been 100 as long as I can remember. They’re just moving and making themselves more obvious. The
drought had forced the wildlife to move to other areas. The neighbours are really upset about this because they like
having them (kangaroos) around.” Caulfield Grammar marketing/ public relations manager Andrew Pilgrim said the
culling would not go ahead and a meeting was planned to reach an agreement, exploring a range of non-lethal options.
Australian Wildlife Protection Council Inc
KINDNESS HOUSE, 2nd Floor, 288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia
TEL: 03 5978 8570 FAX: 03 5978 8302 MOB: 0417 148 501
kangaroo@hotkey.net.au
www.awpc.org.au
www.rootourism.com.au
Patrons: Professor Peter Singer and the Hon Richard Jones Registered Charity: A0012224D
2.Our ‘common’ wildlife may be the next ‘sleeping’ threatened species
Daniel Ramp and Erin Roger School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of NSW Sydney, NSW
Considerable conservation effort has been invested in protecting threatened species, including large-scale
endeavours to quantify the roles threatened species play in ecosystem functioning and resilience. Focusing on
the present, declared threatened species warrant this attention because of the more immediate risk of their
contribution to biodiversity loss; however, it is also important to quantify the roles that common species play
in maintaining ecosystem integrity, particularly in light of threatening drivers like rapid climate change. We
argue that conservation efforts must increase their scope to include both threatened and species typically
considered common; focusing on those species that contribute to functional roles in ecosystems. This includes
many native herbivores, such as kangaroos and wombats, that play vital roles in ecosystem functioning but are
often victimised and treated with a lack of concern because of socio-political factors and historical value
judgments, rather than heeding biological and ecological information.
Species are generally perceived as ‘common’ if they have extensive ranges and/or are abundant. Often few
data exist on local populations of these species, and issues of abundance at varying scales are rarely quantified
with accurate information. All too often definitions rely heavily on anecdotal evidence or information
collected from other regions of a species range. Virtually every species exhibits patchiness and variability over
a range of spatial and temporal scales (Levin, 1992): definitions of commonness and rarity are often scale
dependent leaving them, at the very least, ambiguous. Conservation efforts that focus on already declared
threatened species are appropriate if they posses value outside the context of their community (although values
can be defined in many ways). We argue that conservation efforts focused on communities must consider
changes in abundance of common species for conservation to be ultimately successful.
Road impacts a tipping point for wildlife populations in threatened
landscapes Erin Roger Shawn W. Laffan Daniel Ramp Received: 10 April 2009 / Accepted: 15 February 2010 /
•
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Published online: 9 April 2010 _ The Society of Population Ecology and Springer 2010 Abstract
The conservation of wildlife populations living adjacent to roads is gaining international recognition as a
worldwide concern. Populations living in road-impacted environments are influenced by spatial parameters
including the amount and arrangement of suitable habitat. Human impacts pervade most ecosystems, while the
range of potential and documented impacts are extensive and often vary across species, populations and
through space (Johnson et al. 2005). The effect of roads and traffic on habitat and wildlife is far-reaching,
affecting both the biotic and abiotic environment. Worldwide, estimates suggest that up to 20% of land in
developed countries is affected by roads (Forman 2000). Roads can alter the quality of habitat surrounding a
roadway, impede wildlife movement, are directly involved in the loss of habitat, and result in high mortality of
individuals living within their boundaries (Forman and Alexander 1998).
3.Human induced threats and self-limiting factors control kangaroo populations
Rampant consumption threatens state: report Peter Kerr December 4, 2008 – State of the Environment Report
slams the Victorian Brumby Government! Victorians are living unsustainably and their rampant consumption
is threatening the environmental health and economic prosperity of the state, a landmark report has warned.
1. Parts of Victoria 'degraded beyond repair'
2. Massive ecological footprint
3. Energy, water, petrol use 'profligate'
This morning's State of the Environment report by Victoria's Sustainability
Commissioner, Dr Ian McPhail, warns that parts of the state are now
degraded and beyond repair.
Australian Wildlife Protection Council Inc
KINDNESS HOUSE, 2nd Floor, 288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia
TEL: 03 5978 8570 FAX: 03 5978 8302 MOB: 0417 148 501
kangaroo@hotkey.net.au
www.awpc.org.au
www.rootourism.com.au
Patrons: Professor Peter Singer and the Hon Richard Jones Registered Charity: A0012224D
It describes Victorians as having an ecological footprint three times larger than the global average and
being traditionally profligate in energy, water, petrol and land use. The mammoth document warns that
more than half the state's vegetation has been cleared and Victoria has more bio-regions in poor
landscape condition than any other Australian state.
Greenhouse gas emissions, numbers of threatened species and invasive species have all risen in recent years.
The report urges the Brumby Government to provide more public transport, renewable energy and stricter
building codes around sustainable urban design. It tells the Brumby Government to investigate the use of
recycled sewage for drinking water and urges Victorians to accept that the economy is reliant on healthy
natural systems. To download the report, visit www.ces.vic.gov.au
There is no funding allocated to protect Victoria’s wildlife. They are the silent ones, they are the
voiceless unless we give them a voice. They can't protest, they just quietly die. They become extinct!
Ecologist Hans Brunner (forensic scientist) wrote in The Hastings Independent:
“The total disappearance of the Southern Brown Bandicoot on the Mornington Peninsula is a classical
example of the Government's ignorance. There were thousands and now there are none left. We always get
politely steam rolled. It is most disheartening.”
Wild dogs and cats are out of control in parks and reserves, massacring our wildlife to near oblivion.
Wallabies which were abundant are now rare to non-existent in many areas. Irresponsible farmers do
not neuter their dogs and/or cats which interbreed with the endangered dingo. There are NO controls
except for the untenable situation of DSE issuing ATCW (Authority to Control Wildlife) kill permits.
In the 2007 Vic. Government/DSE ‘Land and biodiversity at a time of climate change’ White Paper, then
Minister John Thwaites showed concern about ‘Our plants, our animals, our future’ on page 3, but DSE
states on page 14, ‘The White Paper will not cover Wildlife Exploitation.’
Fragmentation and failure to provide a framework for holistic solutions are evident. To not address the
serious issue of wildlife exploitation is a critical omission, a gross breach of serious wildlife protection
commitment. DSE and government policies lack an integrated ‘biodiversity concern’ credibility and
concern for the future health & survival of our native plants and animals.
Kangaroos and other species are treated with contempt, mismanaged by DSE and exploited in Victoria.
Planning mechanisms are on an ad hoc basis. Government wildlife authorities fail to provide an integrated and
holistic approach to save remaining wildlife habitat. Any semblance of legal ‘protection’ is undermined
through endless regulations and omissions. Transgressions of regulations regarding kill permits, occur.
The White Paper did not address wildlife exploitation because it would expose the grim realities and
deficiencies in the present system. Government says it has been devised to ‘prioritise the Victorian
Government’s policy and investment in natural resource management, land health and biodiversity for the
next 20 to 50 years.”
But by failing to address wildlife exploitation, the Victorian government admits
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that wildlife is very low on its priority list, is not worth protecting; and
that wildlife habitat loss will continue, while they continue to ignore solutions, which should and
must be implemented urgently to stop the escalating crisis.
The government will do nothing to protect native animals unless they have reached the critical threatened, rare
or endangered category. But by then, it’s too late
Australian Wildlife Protection Council Inc
KINDNESS HOUSE, 2nd Floor, 288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia
TEL: 03 5978 8570 FAX: 03 5978 8302 MOB: 0417 148 501
kangaroo@hotkey.net.au
www.awpc.org.au
www.rootourism.com.au
Patrons: Professor Peter Singer and the Hon Richard Jones Registered Charity: A0012224D
Our wildlife is in crisis~ Victoria has no Native Fauna Management Framework.
Added to the critical and alarming decline of native species is the fact that while Victoria has Green
Wedges and Native Vegetation Management, these do not provide for continuous and connecting
wildlife corridors or bio-links, essential if we are to save what is left; Rob Hulls stated that we have
Green Wedges but they do NOT protect wildlife.
There is NO legal Fauna framework or requirement to take into account our native animals ~ either
their habitat or behavioural needs or protection. It is scandalous. We are losing our native species… and
no one in government appears to care that action is required.
DSE fails its Duty of Care to protect the native animals under its care and to accept any responsibility
for wildlife. 2/3 of Victoria’s land is in private hands.
Opposition to establishing a kangaroo meat industry in Victoria is based on the low kangaroo
population density and community opposition to commercial kangaroo hunting (Environment and
Natural Resources Committee 2000, p. 378). There is no data or figures on kangaroo populations in
Victoria. The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) state in their fact sheet that a
commercial industry is not viable since set-up costs would outweigh profit. Allowing the utilisation of
killed kangaroos would lead to commercial exploitation. There is no such thing as ‘humane’ killing.
3. Human induced threats and self-limiting factors control kangaroo populations
continued
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…
Kangaroos are plagued by natural disasters –
Disease
Bushfires
Drought
Floods
Government Sanctioned commercial kangaroo killing industry
Exponential human population growth
Development of sensitive wildlife habitat for housing to accommodate population explosion
Astronomical road kill deaths not factored into consideration by anyone in Government
Not only are natural disasters and self limiting factors telling us that kangaroos have suffered massive losses
and mass suffering, but that kangaroos self regulate their own populations. This also means that kangaroos do
not need Environment Minister (Rudd and Gillard)Tony Burke subsidizing the kangaroo industry $400,000 to
promote a commercial kangaroo killing industry that is threatening the survivors of these recent catastrophes.
Australian State and Federal Governments are literally wiping our kangaroos off the face of Australia.
Photo by Ray Drew
The unique West Nyangay NSW grazing
property had not killed kangaroos for 10 years
by Peter Preuss BSc Botony Zoology and Ecology
The manager had the radical idea that the rest of the world had it
wrong when it came to kangaroo management. In his view, the
property had actually improved in terms of overall vegetation
cover and therefore potential grazing capacity over the time he had managed the property. Pointing to the
ground, he compared the round hoof print of a cow with the long tapered footprint of a kangaroo…
"When a salt-bush seed falls into the hoof-print of a cow, it might germinate after rain.
The seedling however, dies as the evenly distributed moisture on the compacted soil
Australian Wildlife Protection Council Inc
KINDNESS HOUSE, 2nd Floor, 288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia
TEL: 03 5978 8570 FAX: 03 5978 8302 MOB: 0417 148 501
kangaroo@hotkey.net.au
www.awpc.org.au
www.rootourism.com.au
Patrons: Professor Peter Singer and the Hon Richard Jones Registered Charity: A0012224D
dries up…Any seeding that falls into the footprint of a kangaroo on the other hand, will
be washed to the lowest point of the long tapering foot-print of the kangaroo and possibly even
be buried in the into hole left by the toe nail. Covered, and with moisture concentrated at one
point, the germinating seedling has a far greater chance of survival."
One day we may look back to this simple observation and ask…how did we not see this when we were
killing kangaroos?
HOW COULD WE HAVE GOT IT SO WRONG?
In hind-sight, we may well ask how anyone could have got it so wrong. And yet, be it the consequences of erosion
from excessive land clearing or the impact of introducing toads to control cane beetles, Australia's short history of
European settlement is dotted with examples of us 'getting it wrong'. "
Logically, more kangaroos means more kangaroo footprints; more kangaroo footprints means more
germination sites for salt-bush seedlings and, more salt bush means more food for kangaroos. Salt-bush and
kangaroos, having evolved together on this dry continent may in fact mutually benefit from each other's
existence. As cattle are even more fond of salt-bush than kangaroos, it seems we may need to review the
extent to which kangaroos compete …
A lesson in sabotage- IS the same thing happening in Victoria?
NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TAKE AN INTEREST
Given the unique situation at West Nyangay, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service took an interest in
the property. But unfortunately, with a change in management came a request by the Romani Pastoral Co. to
dramatically reduce kangaroo numbers on the property in line with the zone killing average.
AWPC and NPWS NEGOTIATE COMPROMISE
 Prior to issue of tags and subsequent shooting, NPWS would conduct a comprehensive survey of kangaroo
on West Nyangay
 For comparison, NPWS to survey a similar sized adjoining property (Nth Bundy) subject to the 'normal'
commercial shooting
 Based on the survey, kangaroos on West Nyangay would then be reduced by killing a negotiated number
(not in line with zone average)
 Rather than the normal commercial practice of killing the larger kangaroos, the cull would take a cross
section of the population
 Kangaroo dynamics on West Nyangay would be assessed during the cull and comparisons made with
known regional populations.
 The short and medium term response of the population to the cull would be determined before further
allocation of commercial tags
RESULTS
During April 1996, NPWS conducted comprehensive aerial counts of kangaroos on both West Nyangay and
North Bundy (103)
 West Nyangay had a total of 1,428 kangaroos - more than ten times that of North Bundy. This was not
surprising given that kangaroos had not been killed for ten years
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The density of kangaroos on North Bundy, however, was way below the zone average. From these figures
alone it was clear that kangaroos were not 'spilling out' of West Nyangay and that there should have been
no pressure from neighboring properties to kill kangaroos on West Nyangay
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Of considerable concern was the fact that while over 36% of kangaroos on West Nyangay were red
kangaroos (515), only one red was counted on North Bundy. Commercial shooting had clearly displaced
red kangaroos with greys by preferential harvesting.
Australian Wildlife Protection Council Inc
KINDNESS HOUSE, 2nd Floor, 288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia
TEL: 03 5978 8570 FAX: 03 5978 8302 MOB: 0417 148 501
kangaroo@hotkey.net.au
www.awpc.org.au
www.rootourism.com.au
Patrons: Professor Peter Singer and the Hon Richard Jones Registered Charity: A0012224D

Based on the aerial survey, tags were allocated to kill almost half of the West Nyangay kangaroos. These
tags included non commercial tags so that a cross section of the population could be taken. The species,
sex and weight of every animal killed was recorded and the kill was well monitored to ensure a crosssectional approach.

The results showed that commercial killing distorts the age and sex ratio of kangaroo populations causing
them to have the capacity to quickly increase again after every shoot. This together with the displacement
of red kangaroos and the movement of kangaroos found to be caused by shooting were damming findings
for the kangaroo industry.
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The study also revealed that 30% of the carcasses of commercially killed kangaroos, together with
their dead and dying joeys are left in the field by commercial shooters. This promotes feral animals
such as pigs and foxes which have other 'deleterious effects' on other land management practices.
NSW NPWS SABOTAGE RESEARCH
Finally, the National Parks and Wildlife Service had real data that questioned the value of the
commercial shooting kill. Rather than use this data to justify further research, however, the National
Parks Service simply issued a further 350 tags for West Nyangay in August 1996. This all but wiped out
the kangaroos on West Nyangay. Neighbouring properties were also allowed to commercially take the
larger than State average kangaroos as they fled, even though their total densities remained well below
the zone average.
The initial program that was negotiated between Australian Wildlife Protection Council (AWPC), the
National Parks Service (NPWS) and the Romani Pastoral Company in the interest of 'real research' was
thus aborted.
Obviously the NPWS realised that the data from West Nyangay showed that commercial shooting
threatened the red kangaroo and actually caused grey kangaroos to increase in numbers rapidly after a
shoot. Giving in to pressure from the kangaroo industry, NPWS deliberately sabotaged the program.
Peter Preuss former president AWPC (West Nyangay 1996)
4. Genetic variability / Wildlife Corridors (bio-links)
Genetic dispersal and variation is the genetic key to survival of species.
Our fauna depend on being able to migrate between genetically diverse populations. Habitat must be managed
as core habitat links for wildlife corridors to prevent genetic drift, as native species need genetic diversity and
variability to ensure their survival. Research shows that when native species are trapped in isolated,
fragmented areas of habitat, without interconnecting habitat in which to move, breed or live, over time their
populations implode and they die-out, resulting in local extinction. Victoria has lost many species –
invertebrates, mammals, especially the small macropods, birds and plants.
Hastings The Independent by Mike Hast
‘We are facing an extinction crisis. 36 mammals, 77 birds, 28 reptiles, 24 fish, 11 amphibians and 34 insects
are on Victoria’s threatened species list. It includes the iconic red-tailed black cockatoo and even our faunal
emblems, the Leadbeater’s possum and the helmeted honeyeater, both of which could be gone in a few years.
The CSIRO says 30 per cent of Victoria’s animals are either extinct or threatened with extinction.
Our fauna depends on being able to migrate between genetically diverse populations. Most of Victoria’s
bushland has been cleared, and we have lost 35 per cent of our wetlands and degraded most of our waterways.
The drought, combined with feral weeds and animals, is impacting on our ecosystems. With climate change,
annual temperatures across Victoria could rise by as much as 2.3 degrees by 2050. So-called “sustainable”
industries and urbanisation mean habitat is lost or altered.
Australian Wildlife Protection Council Inc
KINDNESS HOUSE, 2nd Floor, 288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia
TEL: 03 5978 8570 FAX: 03 5978 8302 MOB: 0417 148 501
kangaroo@hotkey.net.au
www.awpc.org.au
www.rootourism.com.au
Patrons: Professor Peter Singer and the Hon Richard Jones Registered Charity: A0012224D
Our conservation concern for the future of wildlife
“When wildlife is lost from a landscape/region, the number of species decline and local extinctions result.
Extinction however, is a process, not an event, and the time scale over which species loss occurs is highly
variable and species-specific. Therefore, despite the fact that major changes may have occurred in the past, the
effects of those changes are in many cases yet to be fully manifested. This “time-lag” between landscape
change and species loss is termed “species relaxation” or “extinction debt”. A number of studies both overseas
and in Australia where landscape modification is very recent (-200 years) have identified extinction debt as a
significant concern for biodiversity conservation in highly modified landscapes. Even in the absence of further
direct loss and fragmentation of habitat, degradation of habitats will continue as weed invasions, dieback, edge
effects and other processes impact isolated remnants, and isolated populations will continue to suffer the
effects of genetic drift, inbreeding and susceptibility to chance events. Thus, the local populations of some
species may be expected to decline to extinction over time. This is reflected in the large number of threatened
and declining species in the region today.”
www.awpc.org.au - Glenn Ehmke, Birds Australia
Variation is genetic key to survival Elise Furlan February 25, 2008
Australia’s endangered marsupials share a common problem The
black-footed rock wallaby. northern hairy-nosed wombat, Gilbert's
potoroo. What is the common link between these animals? All are
endangered Australian marsupials and all suffer from a lack of genetic
variation. It is this lack of variation that is contributing to their potential
extinction. A genetically "healthy" population is defined as having a large
amount of genetic variability. The information for each of an organism's
characteristics is carried on a gene, but a gene can have different forms.
These are known as alleles, and a large range of alleles leads to a wide
variety of genetic "options" or genetic "possibilities".
By contrast, a lack of genetic diversity can prove detrimental to a population, limiting its ability to
adapt to changing environmental conditions. Merely having a large population does not negate the need
for genetic diversity to ensure the survival of a population.
Take the Tasmanian devil, for example. Despite a relatively large population, this species lacks
significant variation in a key immune gene region, known as the major histocompatibility complex. This
lack of genetic variability has contributed to the spread of devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), with up to 90%
of some devil populations suffering from this lethal affliction. They are simply limited in their ability to
develop an immune response to this virus - they do not have the genetic tools to combat the virus.
Decreases in genetic variation can occur through random fluctuations in allele frequency, called genetic drift,
which can result in the loss of alleles. Alternatively, genetic variation can be increased by mutation (the
spontaneous creation of novel alleles) or by gene flow that introduces alleles from migrating members of a
foreign population. In conjunction with natural selection, these phenomena form part of the natural
selection process leading towards evolution and speciation. Humans have undoubtedly imposed an
additional strain on the natural evolutionary process and have increased the risk of extinction in many
animal populations.
As humans continue to spread across the landscape, the land available for wildlife continues to shrink.
As habitat is lost, animal populations suffer. As these habitat pockets become isolated, migration
between genetically diverse populations is reduced. This means gene flow is limited, the negative impact
of genetic drift is increased and natural selection is less able to take effect. These limitations to genetic
variation can endanger and even cause extinction in some populations. Knowing how to increase allelic
variation, or at least maintain it at current levels, is crucial to their continued survival.
Enhancing migration between isolated habitats, will allow the natural gene flow between populations to
continue. Increasing available habitat to support a greater population size will prove beneficial in limiting
genetic drift. Where it is possible, the controlled management of breeding programs will help maintain the
Australian Wildlife Protection Council Inc
KINDNESS HOUSE, 2nd Floor, 288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia
TEL: 03 5978 8570 FAX: 03 5978 8302 MOB: 0417 148 501
kangaroo@hotkey.net.au
www.awpc.org.au
www.rootourism.com.au
Patrons: Professor Peter Singer and the Hon Richard Jones Registered Charity: A0012224D
presence of alleles in future generations. Genetic variation in our native wildlife is crucial if they are to survive
the changing environmental conditions.
Elise Furlan is an education officer at CSIRO
‘From Conservation to Exploitation in South Australia‘
p.37 The Kangaroo BETRAYED 1999 AWPC Doug
Reilly
‘In any wild animal if your disrupt in a short period of time the normal reproductive processes that have
evolved over tens of thousands of years you are in danger of putting the species at risk. Precedents have been
set in other parts of the world where large populations of a species (bison, wolves etc)have faced extinction
after widespread and destructive ‘culling’ programs. Many if these species suffered incursion of exotic
bacterias and viruses when their populations contained a critical and unsustainable gene pool.’
‘Where farmers and pastoralists (with sheep, cattle and crops) are in competition with any native animals, the
government administrators always favour the land owner. Whatever native animals is involved, that animal is
marked for destruction.’
Logically, more kangaroos means more kangaroo footprints; more kangaroo
footprints means more germination sites for salt-bush seedlings and, more salt
bush means more food for kangaroos. Salt-bush and kangaroos, having
evolved together on this dry continent may in fact mutually benefit from each
other's existence. As cattle are even more fond of salt-bush than kangaroos, it
seems we may need to review the extent to which kangaroos compete …
Image: kangaroo poo germinating/ growing grass: Mark Rowe and Peter Preuss 1996
Devilbend Reserve an ideal candidate for a biodiversity project in the growing Mornington Peninsula area!
We have a duty to protect non-human species and not over-run and destroy their ecology with rampant
developments and industries. Our fragile ecosystem needs to be an urgent government priority before it is
degraded even further, and more species and lives are lost. Vivienne Ortega Vice President AWPC
5. Climate change/ population growth driving species to extinction
What lies beyond climate change and land developments and the notion of wildlife as a threat stems from our
rapid population growth, which mainly comes from our heavy immigration program. We are totally against
artificially increasing our population. Surely the food shortages should ring warming bells? We have rapidly
expanding growth corridors in Victoria, which means that Melbourne is spreading further and further into
what were fringe/rural areas. Kangaroos are being displaced and losing their habitat. Areas of reserves are
being fragmented. No one wants to address this sensitive area! Immigration Minister Chris Evans fails to
connect population size with climate change! Vivienne Ortega
More than 200 animal and plant species in Victoria face extinction unless their habitats are protected from
global warming, environment groups have warned. Victoria's faunal emblem, the Leadbeater's Possum, is
among the state's most endangered animals, at risk from continued habitat destruction from logging. The
mountain pygmy possum, orange-bellied parrot and red-tailed black cockatoo also feature on a list of 75
animals whose status ranges from vulnerable to critically endangered. Nine animals native to Victoria are
already extinct. And almost 1400 animal and plant species in Australia are facing extinction.
Bushland mapping needed of significant flora and fauna The Independent Fran Henke
Garrique Pergyl,
Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Conservation Planner: “A
greater understanding of the wealth of environmental
resources on private land should be appreciated as part of the reaction to climate change, adding there
was no state framework for financial incentives to protect biodiversity on private land. Australia has
the greatest rate of species extinction in the world, yet there no mapping of significant bushland, flora
or fauna on private holdings. The shire prepared an often challenging response to the Government
Land and Biodiversity at a Time of Climate Change’. He also highlighted cost shifting by the State
Government to councils… noting that DSE data bases are more focussed on public land, but are
‘substantially outdated’ while Crown and public land is relatively under-managed”.
Australian Wildlife Protection Council Inc
KINDNESS HOUSE, 2nd Floor, 288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia
TEL: 03 5978 8570 FAX: 03 5978 8302 MOB: 0417 148 501
kangaroo@hotkey.net.au
www.awpc.org.au
www.rootourism.com.au
Patrons: Professor Peter Singer and the Hon Richard Jones Registered Charity: A0012224D
Knowledge of threatened species was not being shared between agencies, resulting in ad hoc
reactions and gaps. Once paid positions now filled by volunteers; funding cuts to Environment
“Collected data needs to be freely accessible and shared with all levels of government and the community to
ensure greater community protection of species and habitat,” the report said. The Dep’t of Primary
Industries and DSE had progressively withdrawn field extension services and had sought to shift the
functions to councils. Advice for landholders was less available and schemes such as Land for Wildlife
were now being run by volunteers where once they were staffed. Yet, patches of bush on private
landholdings provided essential wildlife corridors.
Flora and fauna, soils and water resources should be mapped and monitored across private and public
land and ‘net gain policy used to reward landholders for maintaining values on their properties.
Priority needed to be given to an integrated three-tier government response to climate change”.
Rare Species May be Lost Herald Sun 7.4.08 Sarah Wotherspoon
A damning report reveals some endangered animals will be wiped out unless the Government invests
more money and resources saving them. More than half of Victoria’s vegetation has been cleared since
European settlement, while 80 % of private land has been cleared. Remaining habitats are fragmented
and only isolated patches of vital and once vast ecosystems remain intact. The green paper Land and
Biodiversity at a Time of Climate Change recommends pursuing private
investment to restore crucial habitats:




Using public-private partnerships to manage public land
Identifying & protecting priority habitats in marine environments
Encouraging plantings in key areas for both biodiversity
improvements and carbon sequestration
Creating north-south and east-west habitat corridors connecting
national parks
Victoria Naturally alliance project leader Carrie Deutsch said the Government needed to set clear targets
backed with resources. “We would like to see at least a tenfold boost in funding to protect and restore habitat
for our threatened species. The science is telling us that Victoria is the
most damaged State in Australia and according to the CSIRO about one
third of native plants and close to half our native animals are threatened
with extinction. We need to reconnect our core national parks and
reconnect large scale networks of habitat corridors across the state in
order to give species room to move as the climate changes.
6. Australia’s attitude towards protection of biodiversity is
conflictual, wasteful, inhumane, ideological and only quasiscientific, as reflected in the cavalier and chaotic killing of wildlife
species to accommodate agricultural production and enable
exponential economic growth.
7. DSE has a duty of care to protect
Victorian wildlife.
“How long do they think this killing spree can go on? It’s past the point of no return.” Ms Wilson
said.“They are meant to protect our wildlife heritage, not destroy it and it has to stop.” Instead of
thinking that it is a waste to leave shot kangaroos to rot in the field, we all should be thinking that it is a
waste to shoot our kangaroos in the first place.
Ends
Photo by Brett Clifton
Australian Wildlife Protection Council Inc
KINDNESS HOUSE, 2nd Floor, 288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia
TEL: 03 5978 8570 FAX: 03 5978 8302 MOB: 0417 148 501
kangaroo@hotkey.net.au
www.awpc.org.au
www.rootourism.com.au
Patrons: Professor Peter Singer and the Hon Richard Jones Registered Charity: A0012224D
Australian Wildlife Protection Council Inc
KINDNESS HOUSE, 2nd Floor, 288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia
TEL: 03 5978 8570 FAX: 03 5978 8302 MOB: 0417 148 501
kangaroo@hotkey.net.au
www.awpc.org.au
www.rootourism.com.au
Patrons: Professor Peter Singer and the Hon Richard Jones Registered Charity: A0012224D