As many would be aware, I travel extensively in my job. I have noticed of late the number of kangaroos sleeping on the sides of our highways. This is a common occurrence along the Hume, but is becoming more prevalent on other major, and minor roads.
Just last week I had a conversation with a producer who has the Department of Environment Land Water & Planning (DELWP) as a neighbour.
His story is one probably better left for a later edition of Stock & Land, but it does introduce the need for a better, and more relaxed system of controlling our national marsupial. While I am sure the green element will disagree, kangaroos are in plague proportions. Kangaroos breed when Mother Nature says the season is good, and the time is right.
The producer is conversed with farms in South Gippsland, and has a huge problem with “Skippy” damaging fences, and potentially allowing his cattle to exit via broken fences, and getting onto a major road.
Gippsland, as we know, is the land of milk, and very good seasons, which encourages kangaroos to breed. And breed they do.
For instance, within a five kilometre radius of my farm, there is about 80 hectares of bush, in five or six different parcels.
Kangaroos are prolific and regularly I see some sleeping on the roadside. Some people believe it is nice to wake up each morning and see them grazing on good pasture, but what is the cost to farming?
One of these farms does not graze any livestock of their own, and while some agistment occurs on an odd occasion, most of the grass is eaten by kangaroos.
Downsides - First, kangaroos are eating grass that is mostly grown for livestock grazing. Sometimes this is crops, and some would say that a kangaroo doesn’t each much, which is true.
But hundreds of them do. Damage to fencing, and frightening cattle, and other grazing animals is also an issue.
The law says you can get a permit to cull kangaroos, but the law is an ass when it issues a permit to cull only one or two per cent. That is if you are lucky enough to get a permit.
My producer was told to shoo the kangaroos away by his neighbour, which of course is DELWP.
Since Europeans came to Australia, pasture improvement has meant that the kangaroo population has grown dramatically, and not in fear of extinction.
Then in another situation, when you have neighbour who doesn’t, or is not allowed to spray weeds, allows seed to blow across another persons farm.
Again here, state government property can be the issue. First, their spray programs have fallen by the wayside, to some degree, and then our agriculture minister condones that the community becomes the responsible authority.
Recent correspondence between Victorian Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford suggest communities continue to monitor noxious weeds, and do the departments job of identifying weed issue, and then contacting DELWP.
If it is DELWP that is the neighbour, do you honestly believe there would be a fair hearing?
While kangaroos and weeds are prolific due to a generally very good season, it is time for government to stand behind “protecting our prime agricultural land”.
