Kangaroo harvesting

The Kangaroo Harvesting Program (KHP) began in Victoria on 1 October 2019 to enable commercial harvesting of kangaroos in Victoria.

The program will ensure Victoria’s kangaroo population is managed in a sustainable way, in line with animal welfare standards, while helping landowners who are having problems with kangaroos. These problems might include crop destruction, loss of water meant for livestock and damage to property such as fences.

The Kangaroo Harvesting Program operates in accordance with the Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan:

Who will harvest the kangaroos?

Harvesters will be authorised based on the Conditions of Authorisation:

Authorised and trained harvesters will harvest kangaroos in a sustainable manner and suitable kangaroo carcasses will be removed and safely stored before being delivered to a processing centre where they will be processed for pet food to minimise wastage. Harvesters will minimise biosecurity risks.

See biosecurity advice for kangaroo harvesters.

Authorised and trained harvesters will be matched with landowners who want kangaroos harvested on their property.

Authorised and trained harvesters are required to act in accordance with the National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos and Wallabies for Commercial Purposes.

Where will kangaroos be harvested?

Click map to view a larger version or download the Kangaroo harvest zones map Kangaroo harvest zones (PDF 2325.2 KB)

There are seven kangaroo harvest zones in Victoria:

Mallee
Upper Wimmera
Lower Wimmera
Central
Otway
North East
Gippsland

See Local Government Areas in each harvest zone Local Government Areas by zone (DOCX 28.32 KB)

Harvesters in different parts of Victoria can apply to harvest in any given region.

How many kangaroos will be harvested?

Kangaroo harvest numbers will be based on a quota which will be updated every 12 months in response to kangaroo population surveys and population modelling.

From this quota, harvesters in different parts of Victoria can apply for a kangaroo allocation which specifies how many kangaroos they can harvest in any given region statewide.

Quota will be set for each harvest zone and can vary over time.

These allocations will be strictly enforced, and non-compliance may result in revocation of authorisation to operate and non-compliant harvesters could face significant penalties and jail-time.

The 2020 quota is now available and covers the period 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020.

Quota is set for each harvest zone and can vary over time.

2020 quota

All quota application requests for the North East and Gippsland harvest zones are currently on hold due to the recent Victorian bushfires.

Quota applications in these harvest zones can still be submitted, but thvese will not be approved until further notice.

The annual quota and quarterly releases for 2020 are provided below. Any quarterly unallocated quota is rolled into the next quarter release.

Harvest Zone	Total Annual Quota per Zone	Total Quota released for Quarter 1	Maximum Quota available for release for Quarter 2	Quota to be released for Quarter 3	Quota to be released for Quarter 4
Mallee	2,000	500	700	400	400
Upper Wimmera	4,000	1,400	1,000	800	800
Lower Wimmera	17,500	7,000	**	3,500	3,500
Central	12,000	4,800	**	2,400	2,400
Otway	8,000	1,800	3,000	1,600	1,600
North East	12,550	5,050*	2,500*	2,500	2,500
Gippsland	4,000	1,600*	800*	800	800
Total released (exc. North East and Gippsland)		15,500	10,600
Statewide Total (annual)	60,050	24,050	12,000	12,000	12,000

* North East and Gippsland harvest zones are currently on hold due to the recent Victorian bushfires.
** Quotas have now been fully allocated for this zone.

How will 2020 quota be allocated?

New tag allocation rules will be introduced in 2020, to prevent non-active harvesters from stockpiling unused tags. For 2020, the allocation rules will be as follows:

Demonstrated harvest status	Non-active Harvesters	Active Harvesters*
Initial tag allowance	50 tags, per zone	200 tags or 30% of the total quarterly release, whichever number is lower, per zone
Subsequent tag allowance	200 tags or 30% of the total quarterly release, whichever number is lower, per zone	200 tags or 30% of the total quarterly release, whichever number is lower, per zone

*An active harvester – a harvester who has been active for three months prior to applying for tags and who has consumed (used) at least 45% of their total tags issued to them within this three-month period.

Before being able to apply for subsequent tag allocations, the harvester must have consumed (used) 50% of the tags issued to them.

Program update

Note that the authorised harvester e-licence on the Service Victoria app is sufficient proof of authorisation for processors and landowners.

How to get involved as a harvester

To get involved in the program as a harvester, you'll need to register through Service Victoria.

You will need to provide evidence of appropriate training including:

Firearm proficiency training
SSAA (Vic) delivers a commercial harvesting of kangaroos proficiency course. Contact SSAA (Vic) for further information.
Game Harvester Skill Set
Learn more about Game Harvester Skill Set training.
Interstate qualifications are accepted. Please note that this training is not currently offered in Victoria. It is expected that this might become available in Victoria in 2020.

Please ensure you are using Chrome as your browser when registering or logging into their system.

Need assistance? For help registering or using the Service Victoria App please access our Guide for Harvesters Guide for Harvesters (DOCX 40.67 KB).

How to get involved as a landowner

Once registered, you can request a list of currently authorised harvesters who have expressed an interest in operating in your zone.

It will be up to you to make direct contact with harvesters to organise a time and date for harvest.

Landowners are required to provide written consent to an authorised harvester to harvest kangaroos on their property.

Also, they should request evidence from the harvester that they have appropriate public liability or public indemnity insurance.

Download: Consent form for landowners Consent form for landowners (DOC 66 KB)

Frequently asked questions

For more information, please see the following documents:

Authority to Control Wildlife program

The Authority to Control Wildlife (ATCW) program will continue separately to the Kangaroo Harvesting Program.

ATCWs allow landowners to control kangaroos on their own property themselves, but these carcasses cannot be processed for pet food.

For more information on ATCWs, see Wildlife management and control authorisations.

Biosecurity advice for kangaroo harvesters

Follow all instructions, signage and park where directed.
Before entering or leaving a property, ensure your vehicle, equipment, footwear and clothing are clean and free of any visible dirt or contaminants and, if possible, disinfected or washed away from livestock or crops.
If entering certain areas, you must use provided equipment or clothing if asked.
Minimise contact with livestock, crops and plant materials, and only enter authorised areas.

Contact information

All queries, complaints and concerns should be emailed to kangarooharvesting@ecodev.vic.gov.au or by calling 136 186.

Page last updated: 14 July 2020