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Authorities to Control Wildlife: 2023

Authorities To Control Wildlife granted between 1 January and 31 December 2023.

Published by:
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
Date:
24 Jan 2023

Native wildlife is protected in Victoria under the Wildlife Act 1975. It is illegal to kill, trap or disturb wildlife without a permit.

These permits are referred to as Authorities to Control Wildlife (ATCWs) and can be issued when wildlife is causing damage to property, poses a risk to human health and safety or is negatively impacting other biodiversity values.

Important information about this data

Number of animals

The data represents the maximum number of animals (wildlife) authorised for control by ATCWs granted between 1 January and 31 December 2023. The actual number of animals that were controlled under each authorisation may be lower.

Non-lethal and lethal control

The Conservation Regulator requires applicants to demonstrate they have exhausted non-lethal options for the management of wildlife. Where non-lethal techniques are ineffective or impractical, lethal control may be necessary.

Not all non-lethal controls require an ATCW, for example installing fencing or netting to keep wildlife out of an area where they may be causing damage or removing old nests when there are no eggs or nesting birds present.

However, some non-lethal control options do require an ATCW. Examples include trapping and relocating wildlife, deliberate use of noise, water or smoke to disrupt normal behaviours such as roosting or ushering macropods out of an area.

Threatened species

For species listed as threatened under Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 or the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999, permits for lethal control are generally not issued unless there is a significant and unavoidable risk to human health and safety and all non-lethal control options have been exhausted.

Applications to disturb or relocate threatened wildlife are given additional consideration in regard to any negative impact to the conservation status of the species, as well as to ensure significant animal welfare impacts are minimised.

In 2023 no ATCWs were issued for lethal control of any species listed as threatened under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1986 or the Commonwealth Environment and Biodiversity Protection Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

ATCWs were issued for lethal control of seven species (Australasian Gannets, Australian Kestrel, Australian White Ibis, Brown Goshawk, Cape Barren Goose, Silver Gull and Straw-necked Ibis) which are listed marine species under the EPBC Act. The designated conservation status of these species is ‘least concern’.

Kangaroo Harvesting Program

Eastern and Western Grey Kangaroos harvested under the Kangaroo Harvesting Program are not included in the data below. Annual quotas for the Kangaroo Harvesting Program take into account Victoria’s kangaroo population and ATCW data. Further information relating to harvesting of kangaroos under this program can be found at https://www.wildlife.vic.gov.au/our-wildlife/kangaroos/commercial-harvest-of-kangaroos.(opens in a new window)

Table 1: Authorities to Control Wildlife issued between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023

Lethal control

Non-lethal control

Species# of ATCWs issuedMax. # authorised for lethal control# of ATCWs issued

Max. # authorised for non-lethal control

Australasian Gannet12001200
Australasian Pipit0014
Australian Kestrel11512
Australian Magpie20477396
Australian Magpie Lark3512
Australian Raven762,35411
Australian Shelduck1666400
Australian White Ibis84272100
Bell Miner425000
Black Kite1700
Black Swan92251400
Black Wallaby691,456125
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike11000
Brown Goshawk0011
Cape Barren Goose1373711
Chestnut Teal28000
Common Brushtail Possum1540500
Common Ringtail Possum12000
Common Wombat2221,902427
Crested Pigeon0015
Crimson Rosella1770000
Dusky Moorhen14000
Eastern Brown Snake0015
Eastern Grey Kangaroo1,48668,10491,026
Eastern Rosella517500
Emu2955700
Eurasian Coot518500
Galah116083160
Great Cormorant660115
Grey Butcherbird1200
Grey Teal1950000
Grey-headed Flying-fox0032,030
Hog Deer43100
Koala00120
Laughing Kookaburra1300
Little Black Cormorant445175
Little Corella231,32577,250
Little Crow3270125
Little Lorikeet11000
Little Pied Cormorant660175
Little Raven7134185
Long-billed Corella151,48561,065
Lowland Copperhead00115
Mallee Ringneck001100
Maned Duck1013,128232
Masked Lapwing12111310
Musk Lorikeet131,12000
Noisy Friarbird35500
Noisy Miner11288175
Pacific Black Duck401,39319
Pied Cormorant1200
Pied Currawong1221600
Purple Swamphen37500
Rainbow Lorikeet251,661110
Red Kangaroo136,78000
Red Wattlebird622000
Red-necked Wallaby1537000
Red-rumped Parrot00110
Satin Bowerbird11000
Silver Gull5312,44541,203
Silvereye921500
Straw-necked Ibis17500
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo1792651,280
Tiger Snake00125
Wedge-tailed Eagle00230
Welcome Swallow1052311
Western Grey Kangaroo436,34600
White-faced Heron33511
White-winged Chough11000
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo001350

Updated