Sustainable Hunting Action Plan 2021-2024

Action: Provide better access to information

Lead: DEECA

Underway

Progress:

Complete

• Practical enhancements to the More to Explore phone app to help improve knowledge about hunting locations.

• Enhancements to date include auto updates and increased clarity of road closures.
• Parks Victoria seasonal road closures included in early June 2023.

Underway

• Further planned enhancements include:
  • Including real time road closure information.
  • Displaying DEECA seasonal road closures.
  • Adding Traditional Owner boundary map data.
  • Including Sunrise and Sunset times.

Action: Educate and train new hunters

Lead: GMA

Delivered

Progress:

Complete

• Delivery of a new online firearm safety education module.
• Delivery of introductory education sessions for newly licenced duck and deer hunters commenced at Little River.

Action: Enhance hunter education

Lead: GMA

Delivered

Progress:

Complete

• Release of eight world-class game hunting education modules for hunters wanting to increase their knowledge of hunting laws, responsible hunting methods and firearm safety. Available to licenced game hunters and non-licenced hunters, providing guidance on becoming a more effective and responsible hunter.

Action: Improved animal welfare

Lead: GMA

Underway

Progress:

Complete

• Working group established to develop and implement wounding reduction plans for waterfowl and quail in Victoria.

Underway

• Draft waterfowl wounding reduction action plan developed and under consideration by government.
• Wounding reduction action plans for quail and deer.

Action: Monitor social and economic benefits

Lead: DJSIR

Yet to commence

Progress:

Yet to commence

• New study to determine the contribution of hunting to the economy. Previous studies took place in 2013, 2019 and a further study will be undertaken in 2024.

Action: Partner with the community to promote safe, responsible and sustainable hunting

Lead: DJSIR

Underway

Progress:

Complete

• Commencement of a new Sustainable Hunting Grants program for projects that promote safe, responsible and sustainable hunting.
• The grants are supporting the long-term sustainability of hunting and will maximise the benefits for the environment, the economy, the community and hunters.

Underway

• Sustainable Hunting Grant projects are currently underway.

Action: Partner with Traditional Owners

Lead: DJSIR

Underway

Progress:

Underway

• Co-governance group established and implementation plan developed to support increased Traditional Owner involvement in game hunting through delivery of the Traditional Owner Game Management Strategy.
• Establishment of four pilot projects that will build Traditional Owner participation in hunting, land management and conservation.

Action: Undertake research, monitoring and evaluation

Lead: GMA

Underway

Progress:

Complete

• Establishment of Victoria’s first statewide Stubble Quail abundance and distribution monitoring program, to ensure that Stubble Quail hunting occurs sustainably. Annual Stubble Quail abundance estimate reports are available on the GMA website.
• Implementation of an annual waterfowl wounding data collection program, to monitor wounding trends and the success of wounding reduction initiatives. The 2022 findings are available on the GMA website.

Underway

• New hog deer abundance and distribution study.
• Research to determine the contribution of different types of recreational deer hunting to deer control.

Action: Develop a game duck adaptive harvest management framework and strategy

Lead: DJSIR

Underway

Progress:

Complete

• Development of game duck population models which will provide guidance on the identification of sustainable levels of harvest.

Yet to commence

• Development of harvest framework and strategy in consultation with key stakeholders.