Australian Society for Kangaroos
melbourne water to Shoot 50 Kangaroos & Joeys
August 2016:
Local residents adjoining Greenvale Reservoir near Melbourne have been left devastated after receiving a letter from Melbourne Water advising them of plans to kill 50 kangaroos and their joeys at the Greenvale Reservoir next month. One of those residents Graeme Linsell lives next door to the reservoir and having watched and admired the kangaroos from his balcony for many years, is heart broken by the decision. Graeme is also the local wildlife rescuer and is willing to talk to media about his concerns.
The Australian Society for Kangaroos is equally concerned and said that despite contacting Melbourne Water and the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning requesting evidence to support this permit to kill, they had supplied none.
Nikki Sutterby President of Australian Society for Kangaroos said today,
“We wrote to Melbourne Water and DEWLP asking specific questions in relation to this permit to kill kangaroos at Greenvale Reservoir, but neither DEWLP or Melbourne Water have been able to answer those questions in their response. We asked them three simple questions in relation to their stated reasons for issuing the permit to kill 50 kangaroos and their young, including evidence that the kangaroos were at risk of starvation, evidence that large scale indiscriminate shooting enhances animal welfare outcomes for kangaroos, and evidence that the kangaroos were a risk to the water catchment. We also asked them to provide evidence of non lethal alternatives that were tried before the permit was granted, which is a legal requirement and DEWLP policy. However neither DEWLP or Melbourne Water have been able to answer these questions in their response to us which is of great concern because they relate directly to the reasons given for issuing this permit . These kangaroos and their joeys are protected native animals who are of great cultural, environmental and spiritual significance to this country and this local community, so it is totally unacceptable that they have been unable to provide one scrap of evidence to support this ”.
“It is also important for the public to be aware that kangaroo culls are not humane, despite the government’s claims otherwise. Kangaroos are family animals and large scale slaughters such as this destroy their family groups and their complex social structures. Joeys are wrenched from their dead mother’s pouch swung by their feet and bashed with iron bars, over rocks or ute trays, while out of pouch joeys are usually separated from their mother’s and left to die from exposure, stress, starvation and predation. This is a cruel and unnecessary process”, said Ms Sutterby.
“We urge Melbourne Water to reconsider this cull at Greenvale Reservoir. Kangaroos are highly adapted to the Australian environment, and will not breed unless their environment can support it.”