Kangaroo culls 933. Hon Amanda Dorn to the Minister for the Environment: I refer to the ongoing culling of kangaroos across Western Australia. (1) What measures are in place to ensure that kangaroo cu

AnsweredQoN 933Legislative Council
Asked
22 October 2025
Portfolio
the Environment

QuestionView source ↗

Kangaroo culls
933. Hon Amanda Dorn to
the Minister for the Environment:
I refer to the
ongoing culling of kangaroos across Western Australia.
(1) What measures are in place to ensure that kangaroo
culling is conducted humanely and in accordance with animal welfare standards?
(2) How does the Department of Biodiversity,
Conservation and Attractions monitor compliance and investigate reports of
cruelty?
(3) Will the minister commit to an independent
review of kangaroo culling practices and their ecological, cultural and animal welfare
impacts across the state and, if not, why not?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question and provide the following
answer on behalf of the Minister for the Environment.
(1) The Biodiversity
Conservation Act 2016 —BC act—does not define the term
"culling". Kangaroos are protected as native fauna and may be taken only
under a licence or in designated local government districts where they are
classified as managed fauna. All take must be by firearm and in accordance with
the national codes of practice for humane shooting.
(2) The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation
and Attractions undertakes regular inspections of licensed activities under the
BC act to ensure compliance. However, as DBCA does not administer the Animal
Welfare Act, it does not have the power to investigate animal cruelty. Reports
of cruelty are referred to either the Department of Primary Industries and
Regional Development or the RSPCA for investigation.
(3) No. The Management
Plan for the Commercial Harvest of Kangaroos in Western Australia 2024–28 ensures that the harvest of red and western grey kangaroos is conducted in
accordance with ecologically sustainable development principles under the BC
act. DBCA regularly monitors the impacts on biodiversity and kangaroo
populations, and its annual reporting meets all state and Commonwealth
requirements. Therefore an independent review is not required.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more