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Agriculture Environment and Water | August 04, 2016

Labor Fails to Extend Kangaroo Pet Food Trial Area

The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy MP says Labor has broken its promise to extend the kangaroo pet food trial area, as they promised in March 2016. 

“It is very disappointing that the Labor Government have not extended the trial area further into South West Victoria. I have met with the Glenelg and West Wimmera Shire Councils as well as many locals, and it is clear we urgently need to extend the kangaroo pet food trial area to these regions,” Ms Kealy said.

The kangaroo pet food trial was established by the Nationals when in Government for an initial two year period, and following extensive lobbying by Ms Kealy it was extended for a further two years until March 2018.

“Labor announced that the trial would be extended to test its sustainability over a longer period and to expand the geographical area, yet after almost six months Labor have failed to take any action to extend the trial area.

“Labor has broken its promise to extend the kangaroo trial area, and as a result kangaroos are breeding to levels never seen before in the Glenelg and West Wimmera Shires. The environment simply cannot sustain such vast numbers of kangaroos. Their plague numbers are damaging the habitat of other native animals, damaging farmland and creating havoc on our roads," she said. 

Emma Kealy, Member for Lowan and Hon. Peter Walsh, Leader of The Nationals visited a processing plant in Hamilton earlier this year to see first-hand the improved systems and flow on benefits of the processing of kangaroos for pet food. 

“Prior to the trial, the only pest management licence that landholders could access to manage kangaroo populations mandated carcasses be buried or left to rot,” Ms Kealy said.

“The benefits of processing kangaroo carcasses for pet food rather than burying them has stopped unnecessary waste, created over a dozen local jobs and a new niche market for high quality pet food.

"Labor's failure to extend the kangaroo pet food trial area after almost six months is just another broken promise by a Labor Government that doesn't understand nor care about country Victoria," she said.