Mornington Peninsula farmers say they're alarmed at plans to exclude the region from the Gippsland zone, under the Victorian government Kangaroo Harvesting Management Plan.
A spokesman for the Department of Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action said under the 2024-2028 harvest management plan, the exclusion zone for commercial harvesting was being expanded from next January.
"Following extensive public consultation and a review of the appropriateness of the harvest zones, the Mornington Peninsula and nine other local government areas have been excluded from the program," the spokesman said.
The other municipalities are Brimbank, Casey, Cardinia, Hobsons Bay, Hume, Melton, Nillumbik, Whittlesea and Wyndham
The exclusion zone had been expanded after consideration of the Melbourne urban growth boundary and suburban growth, comparative levels of harvesting activity, ecological considerations and existing council borders, the spokesman said.
Victorian Farmers Federation Peninsula branch members also said state government estimates of between 6000-8000 kangaroos in the region are wrong.
In a submission to federal and state authorities, branch members said kangaroos were causing havoc across all areas of agriculture - cattle production, vineyards and vegetable production.
"There's about $1.4 billion of agricultural production on the Peninsula alone - so if you are losing even 10 per cent to kangaroos, every year, it's a significant amount of money," Victorian Farmers Federation Peninsula branch president Stephen Todd said in the members' submission.
The submission argued since the conversion of farmland to national parks, 30 years ago, the population of Eastern Grey kangaroos on the Peninsula had exponentially increased.
"Both the national parks and Main Ridge Nature Conservation Reserve, are permanently protected breeding grounds for kangaroos, from which they fan out across the Mornington Peninsula - there is no part of the Peninsula that doesn't have kangaroos," the submission said.
Long-term veal producer David Gibb, Sussex Farm, Red Hill said removing the Peninsula from Gippsland would mean kangaroos would be left to rot in the paddock, rather than harvested for human consumption or pet food.
"Under commercial harvesting, the carcase is not wasted, whereas if you get a shooter on your farm, he is not supposed to even take a leg of your kangaroo away, for his own dog," Mr Gibb said.
He welcomed the extension of the original deadline to exclude the Peninsula from Gippsland, initially set for January this year.
"Farmers are pleased there has been a stay of execution, so hopefully all the submissions pointed out the errors in the assumptions that underpinned the earlier exclusion date," he said.
Mr Gibb said one vigneron lost 25 per cent of her Shiraz grapes, in the days prior to the harvest.
"They measure the sugar in the grapes, prior to picking, the kangaroos did the job for her - they decided they were sweet enough to eat," he said.
Horticulture, for which the Peninsula was particularly renowned, was heavily affected - as kangaroos trampled beds, he said.
The VFF also raised concerns about the changes, without what it said was a comprehensive count of numbers.
Mr Todd said landowners, who encountered large mobs of kangaroos each day, believed the figure quoted by authorities - was "grossly understated.
It was well documented kangaroo populations expanded during periods of good rainfall, when water and fodder was available, but declined during droughts, he said.
"In a balanced ecosystem, kangaroo mob numbers are retained by climate and landscape, however, there is an abundance of water filled farm dams and farm animal water troughs in southern Victoria."
During drought, kangaroos also ate purchased hay and silage, put out for livestock.
"This illustrates that there is no drought for kangaroos, and thus no break in their breeding cycle."
Mr Todd suggested measuring some of the mobs, using drones, remote sensors and artificial intelligence.
Mr Todd said he estimated it would cost about $200,000 to carry out a comprehensive survey.
"It really is critically important, once you set up that blueprint, it can apply to the rest of Victoria," he said.
Agricultural contractor, Steve Marshall, Main Ridge, said he had seen an "explosion" in kangaroo numbers, in recent years.
"With establishing young vines and you have one shoot, poking up, and you come back and its been nibbled - that can almost cost you a year to get that momentum back," he said.
Kangaroos also damaged irrigation lines and knocked sprinklers out, he said.
"I want to know are they doing proper surveys, have we got a management plan, because I think we are right at tipping point because I think there are going to be a lot more of them bursting out of the areas they have got into."
Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Simon Brooks council was also concerned about road accidents, caused by kangaroos, and was undertaking a trial of virtual fencing that emitted a signal that discouraged the animals from entering roads.
"Council's main role is to advocate for better management systems, which can really only occur from state and federal governments - but we are keen to see a broader management system applied," Cr Brooks said.
"We need to look beyond just one particular municipality, and that needs state government leadership and state government resourcing."
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
