Kangaroo export ban: Victoria caught out blaming feds

Victorian government bureaucrats have been caught blaming their federal counterparts for failing to lift a kangaroo export ban.

Victoria’s kangaroo harvest has been crippled by an export ban that has remained in place since December 10, primarily due to state government delays.

The Victorian Government has been caught out trying to blame federal bureaucrats for an eight-month delay in lifting a ban on kangaroo meat and hide exports that has crippled harvesting and processing.

Exports were halted on December 10 last year, due to delays in regaining federal approval to trade under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

When asked about the delays, a Victorian Government spokesman said “international exports would resume once the (state’s) Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan for 2024-2028 was approved by the federal government.

“While we appreciate the timing is later than anticipated a decision is expected shortly,” the Victorian spokesman said. “Questions on the timing of decisions by the (federal) Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water should be directed to that department.”

But when asked, federal bureaucrats said they sought public comments on the kangaroo harvesting plan as required under the EPBC Act in December-November last year, which had then been supplied to the Victorian Government “for consideration”.

It appears Victoria’s Agriculture Minister Ros Spence and Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos sat on those comments until late June, when their bureaucrats lodged their final harvest plan with the federal government.

A federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water spokesman said “the final Victorian Wildlife Trade Management Plan for harvest of kangaroos was received by the department on 25 June 2024 and is currently under assessment”.

Victorian Opposition Agriculture spokeswoman Emma Kealy said “whether it’s incompetence or not, it’s crippled the state’s kangaroo harvesting and processing.

“Once again Victorian are paying the price of Labor’s neglect of the agricultural sector.”