South Australian Kangaroo Populations to be Referred to Natural Resources Committee Following Community Outcry
A SA Greens motion calling for South Australia’s Kangaroo and Wallaby populations to be referred to the Natural Resources Committee has passed in the Legislative Council. The Committee will assess population levels and the effects of current harvesting practices.
Despite being native animals, the legal protections usually applied to wildlife in Australia do not apply to kangaroos, allowing them to be hunted as part of commercial trade, or at the request of land managers.
The Greens’ initial call for review followed footage that exposed piles of kangaroo carcasses left to rot on land adjacent to one of Adelaide’s largest drinking water reservoirs and is the result of significant community outcry.
Quotes Attributable to Tammy Franks MLC, SA Greens Spokesperson for Animal Welfare:
We need proper scrutiny of the methods and data that is used to decide how many kangaroos and wallabies can be sustainably killed. We must ensure that our standards are fit for purpose.
In May, we saw piles of dead kangaroos left to rot across from one of our largest drinking water reservoirs in this state – pits of water turned toxic green from decay. This is not what the people of South Australia picture when politicians and lobby groups talk about an ethical cull.
Our wildlife carers nurture these iconic animals back to health when they are injured, but when they release them, they are aware they are sending them back into a hunting ground. Our carers cannot be expected to keep rehabilitating these animals to then see them killed. Compassion fatigue is real.