November 2017: 

The Australian Society for Kangaroos (ASK) today made new allegations as against various government departments, about the government approved cull of some 400 kangaroos at the Epping Market Site. ASK is challenging the decision to cull these kangaroos in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

 “We have today added new allegations to our case. We say that the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning approved the cull because of a desire to develop and/or sell the land that the kangaroos are living on,’ explained Fiona Corke”, spokesperson for the Australian Society for Kangaroos.

“What we say, is that the 2015 Kangaroo Management Plan that was approved by the Department, talks about how the prescribe of a large, unmanaged population of the kangaroos would be a significant encumbrance on the title. It goes on to say that in order to prepare the land for sale, all kangaroos in this area should be removed by shooting at night. This is unlawful. The desire to be able to better sell off land for development is not a relevant consideration when making a decision under the Wildlife Act in Victoria”.

The case is currently set down for a full trial on 25 June 2018 in the Supreme Court of Victoria. ASK has served its new allegations on the relevant government departments and intends to file them with the Supreme Court of Victoria shortly.

The parties had arranged a without prejudice meeting to take place on Friday 10 November which the lawyers for both departments DEDJTR and DELWP unilaterally cancelled at short notice.

By way of background, on 25 July 2017 the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) issued an Authority to Control Wildlife to the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR) which allows the DEDJTR to cull some 400 kangaroos on the Melbourne Wholesale Market site in Epping. The Australian Society for Kangaroos issued legal proceedings in October 2017 challenging this decision.