How quotas are set
To ensure that kangaroo numbers remain sustainable, it is government policy that no more than 10 percent of Eastern and Western Grey kangaroo populations are controlled each year across both the Kangaroo Harvesting Program (KHP) and the Authority to Control Wildlife (ATCW) system.
The number of kangaroos controlled through the KHP and the ATCW system is closely monitored to ensure it remains sustainable.
ATCWs are assessed on a case by case basis, and the number granted in any one year is not capped. To ensure the level of take across both systems is sustainable, the harvesting program quota may be reduced or suspended during the year if levels approach the recommended maximum. Any changes in quota will be advertised on the DJPR website.
Where harvesting can take place
Harvesting can occur in 58 of Victoria’s 79 local government areas, which are grouped into 7 harvest zones across Victoria. These are Central, Gippsland, North East, Lower Wimmera, Mallee, North East, Otway and Upper Wimmera.
The map below shows the location of the harvest zones, while the table shows which local government areas are included in each zone and those where harvesting cannot occur.
| Central | Gippsland | North East | Otway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballarat | Bass Coast | Alpine | Colac Otway |
| Brimbank | Baw Baw | Benalla | Corangamite |
| Hepburn | Cardinia | Campaspe | Golden Plains |
| Hume | Casey | Greater Bendigo | Greater Geelong |
| Macedon Ranges | East Gippsland | Greater Shepparton | Hobsons Bay |
| Melton | Latrobe | Indigo | Moyne |
| Mitchell | Mornington Peninsula | Mansfield | Surf Coast |
| Moorabool | South Gippsland | Moira | Warnambool |
| Mount Alexander | Wellington | Strathbogie | Wyndham |
| Murrindindi | Towong | ||
| Nillumbik | Wangaratta | ||
| Whittlesea | Wodonga | ||
| Yarra Ranges |
| Lower Wimmera | Mallee | Upper Wimmera |
|---|---|---|
| Ararat | Mildura | Buloke |
| Central Goldfields | Hindmarsh | |
| Gannawarra | Horsham | |
| Glenelg | Swan Hill | |
| Loddon | West Wimmera | |
| Northern Grampians | Yarriambiack | |
| Pyrenees | ||
| Southern Grampians |
The KHP is not permitted to operate in the local government areas listed below. However, kangaroo control may still be undertaken in these areas with an ATCW permit.
Kangaroo Harvest Permit exclusion areas
- Banyule
- Bayside
- Boroondara
- Darebin
- Frankston
- Glen Eira
- Greater Dandenong
- Kingston
- Knox
- Manningham
- Maribyrnong
- Maroondah
- Melbourne
- Moonee Valley
- Monash
- Port Phillip
- Stonnington
- Whitehorse
- Yarra
2022 quota
The 2022 Kangaroo Harvesting Program quota has been updated as of October. The quota is now set at a maximum of 118,980. This is spread across the seven harvest zones as shown in the table below.
The quota available in the North East and Lower Wimmera zones has been reduced.
| Zone | 2022 maximum quota | 2022 adjusted maximum quota (as of October 2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Central | 46,150 | 46,150 |
| Gippsland | 13,100 | 13,100 |
| North East | 4,950 | 3,715 |
| Otway | 20,650 | 20,650 |
| Lower Wimmera | 30,550 | 22,915 |
| Mallee | 1,050 | 1,050 |
| Upper Wimmera | 11,400 | 11,400 |
| TOTAL | 127,850 | 118,980 |
Quota reports and more information
Each year, the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research (ARI) prepares Kangaroo harvest quotas for Victoria report with recommendations for the following year’s KHP quota. These reports provide information on the science used to calculate quotas. The final quota is detailed in the Quota Determination.
ARI reports, Quota determinations and fact sheets for year of the program can be found below.
Page last updated: 29/09/22