About the Kangaroo Harvesting Program

In Victoria, harvesting of Eastern and Western Grey kangaroos has been allowed since 1 October 2019, under the Victorian Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan (KHMP).

Under this program, landholders can use authorised harvesters to control kangaroos on their property at no charge. Unlike the Authority to Control Wildlife (ATCW) system, where landholders control and dispose of the kangaroos themselves, the harvesting program allows landholders to engage professional harvesters who will undertake the control and will remove the carcasses for commercial use.

The Kangaroo Harvesting Program (KHP) is administered by the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (DJSIR), while the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) is responsible for preparing the KHMP and annual quota for the program.

Why use the Kangaroo Harvesting Program?

There are a number of benefits for landholders that use the KHP rather than the ATCW system:

  • You don't need to apply for an ATCW
  • You don't have to control the kangaroos yourself
  • You don’t need to dispose of carcasses
  • Using professional harvesting services can be more humane
  • Professional harvesters control and remove the kangaroos from your property
  • Professional harvesting services are free for landholders
  • Carcasses are used commercially rather than wasted

For more information on how to become an authorised harvester or to find a harvester operating in your area please visit the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions Kangaroo Harvesting Program page.

Administration of the Kangaroo Harvesting Program

The KHP is implemented by DEECA, DJSIR and the Game Management Authority (GMA).

DEECA is responsible for:

  • the preparation of the KHMP
  • maintaining the sustainable harvest model and arranging population surveys
  • preparing quota reports and setting the annual quota for each Harvest Zone (through population modelling by the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research)
  • reducing or suspending quota in any Harvest Zones if required
  • monitoring kangaroo control across the KHP and ATCW system through the Conservation Regulator.

DJSIR is responsible for:

  • providing information on KHP data for quota consideration
  • providing platforms to process harvester and quota applications
  • providing a platform that captures KHP data (Service Victoria).

GMA is responsible for:

  • issuing harvester authorisations
  • allocating tags, monitoring, and reporting of quota
  • compliance activities associated with harvester conduct.

For more information on compliance of the KHP please visit the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions Kangaroo Harvesting page.

Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan

The Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan sets the aims, actions and indicators for kangaroo harvesting. Harvesting must be ecologically sustainable, humane, and only undertaken by authorised people.

To ensure the sustainability of Victorian kangaroo populations, the plan sets out the requirements for the KHP quota across 7 Harvest Zones.

The KHP quota is the maximum number of kangaroos that can be taken under the Program each year, which, is no more than 10 per cent of Victoria's Easten and Western Grey Kangaroo populations. For more information on Harvest Zones and the quota please see the Kangaroo Harvesting Program zones and quota page.

The KHMP 2024-2028 came into effect on 1 January 2024 to enable the continued operation of the KHP. The KHMP can be found below.

Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan 2024-2028

Victorian Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan 2024-2028 (PDF, 1.3 MB)

Victorian Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan 2024-2028 (DOCX, 5.5 MB)

Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan 2021-2023

Victorian Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan 2021-2023 (PDF, 728.7 KB)

Victorian Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan 2021-2023 (DOCX, 2.7 MB)

Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan Review

The Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan 2024-2028 will be reviewed before its expiry in 2028 or if there is any significant policy, regulatory or administrative changes. The Victorian Government commits to conducting public consultation prior to its expiry.

A review of the KHMP 2021-2023, including public consultation, was undertaken as part of the development of the Plan. The submissions from the public consultation were considered to inform the development of the KHMP 2024-2028.

The Public Consultation Summary Report for the review of the KHMP 2021-2023 has been published on the Engage Victoria website. This report provides a high level summary of feedback received from the consultation process and changes to the KHMP. For more information on the public consultation or to view the report please visit Engage Victoria here: https://engage.vic.gov.au/project/kangaroo-harvesting-management-review

Wildlife Trade Management Plan

The KHMP 2024-2028 has been declared an approved Wildlife Trade Management Plan (WTMP) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. This will provide for Victorian harvested kangaroo products obtained through the KHP to be exported internationally.

The Australian Government authorises the export of wildlife products from Australia. To ensure that products exported are obtained from an ecologically sustainable program a WTMP is required. For more information on exporting kangaroo products visit the Australian Government Wildlife Trade Management Plan website.

You can view the WTMP declaration here:

Wildlife Trade Management Plan Declaration (PDF, 52.4 KB)

Wildlife Trade Management Plan Declaration (DOCX, 63.4 KB)

Changes to the KHMP 2024-2028 as a result of the WTMP process

As part of the WTMP assessment process, which included public consultation, amendments have been made to the KHMP 2024-2028 to enable WTMP approval.

A key change is the inclusion of a species-specific quota for Eastern and Western Grey Kangaroos in the Harvest Zones, where the two species overlap. This change will be used as a measure to further ensure species sustainability and will be in place from 1 January 2025.

Other amendments to the Plan include:

  • the inclusion of population estimates from 2017 to assist with the establishment of long-term trends; and
  • more detailed information on the threat of climate change and the impact assessment of harvesting on population demographics.

These amendments are outlined in the KHMP 2024-2028 above.

Evaluation of the Kangaroo Pet Food Trial (2019)

The KHP was established after an evaluation of the former Kangaroo Pet Food Trial (KPFT) which found that the risks associated with commercial kangaroo processing could not be adequately managed under the trial framework.

Further information on the trial and its evaluation can be found in the following evaluation report.

Page last updated: 04/10/24