The Invasive Species Council, Victorian Deer Control Community Network (VDCCN) and Victorian National Parks Association have expressed disappointment at the Allan Government’s decision to maintain protection for feral deer under the Wildlife Act 1975, defying expert advice, community feedback, and mounting evidence of the environmental, economic and safety damage these animals cause across Victoria.
Despite being recognised as a major biosecurity threat, deer remain the only large feral species still protected as “wildlife” in Victoria. All other mainland states have declared deer a pest.
‘Deer are one of the worst invasive species in Victoria, and the government response is deeply disappointing,’ Invasive Species Council CEO Jack Gough said.
‘The Government’s justification that protecting deer for hunting is ‘not a barrier to effective control’ flies in the face of on-ground reality and the expert panel recommendations from this review.
‘Declaring deer as a pest will not restrict hunting, but it will ensure all landholders have a legal responsibility to prevent the spread of deer and eradicate them where possible.
‘Farmers, motorists, gardeners and our environment are all going to cop the consequences of this strange decision to keep protecting feral deer.
‘For too long, the hunting lobby has ensured deer remain a protected species, even though they trash, trample, pollute, spread weeds, stop regeneration and have been spreading like wildfire across Victoria.
‘The only way to get on top of them is through coordinated, professional aerial control campaigns using thermal scopes that are done consistently and are well funded. If governments don’t have that in place, they are effectively choosing to let deer spread – and that has huge costs.’
Victorian Deer Control Community Network (VDCCN) spokesperson Peter Jacobs said:
‘Private landowners and the community desperately need support to manage the impacts of feral deer.
‘That support simply isn’t there while they remain protected wildlife – and it won’t happen until they’re declared a pest and get the same backing as other pest animal control programs.
‘Under current arrangements, feral deer continue to enjoy the same protections as native species, creating confusion and preventing a coordinated landscape-scale response.
‘Landholders receive no government support, funding or advice for control, and in many cases must navigate complex permits to remove animals causing damage on their own property.
‘The Government has argued that protection “makes no difference” to control efforts – yet refuses to answer the simple question: if that’s true, why keep them protected?
‘If it truly made no difference, there would be no reason to keep protecting one of the most destructive pest animals in Victoria.’
Victorian National Parks Association campaigner, Jordan Crook said:
‘Victoria now has the highest population of feral deer of all Australian states and the highest proportion occupied by feral deer.
‘Victoria is the infestation of the nation. Protecting feral deer under Victoria’s Wildlife Act 1975 for game purposes, just doesn’t make sense.
‘All other mainland states have now moved to declaring deer as a pest.’
The Invasive Species Council and the VDCCN are calling on the government to:
- Remove deer from the Wildlife Act 1975
- Declare all feral deer species as established pest animals under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994
- Fund long-term, coordinated control programs across public and private land
Background:
- A few deer were released in Victoria 150 years ago for game hunting and over time legislation was developed to support the hunting resource and promote deer in landscape. The activities of hunters have not controlled deer numbers and with no natural predators, deer are now a large uncontained and uncontrolled feral population.
- Victoria now has the highest population of feral deer of all Australian states and the highest proportion occupied by feral deer. Nevertheless, feral deer continue to be protected under Victoria’s Wildlife Act 1975 for game purposes. All other mainland states have now moved to declaring deer as a pest.
- The impact on the Victorian community, economy, public safety, and the natural environment is well documented and unprecedented, and cases of serious impacts are now appearing regularly in the media. These hard hoofed and heavy ungulates are like no other native wildlife; our ecosystems have evolved in the absence of these animals trashing and trampling our environment. Vegetable and flower farms have reported just recently disastrous impacts of roaming deer.
- There is a strong view in the community, particularly land managers and farmers whose productivity is impacted, that feral deer have grown to now be a serious pest and should have their wildlife and protected wildlife status removed from Victoria’s Wildlife Act 1975 and game status revoked, and consequently, deer hunting no longer regulated by the Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2024. This allows deer species to be declared Established Pest Animals under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (CaLP Act).
Photo credit: Lee Williams.
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