How quotas are set
To ensure sustainable kangaroo populations, the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research (ARI) recommends that no more than 10% of Victoria’s kangaroo population should be controlled each year across both the Kangaroo Harvesting Program (KHP) and the Authority to Control Wildlife (ATCW) system.
The quota for each harvest zone is set by:
- using the kangaroo abundance estimates from the most recent kangaroo survey to determine the maximum level of control. In Victoria, we set this at no more than 10% of the population
- estimating the number of kangaroos that will be controlled through ATCWs and then
- deducting the estimated ATCWs from the maximum recommended level of take.
The difference between the maximum level of control, and the estimated ATCW levels is assigned to the KHP as quota.
Begining in 2017, we regularly survey Victoria’s kangaroo population and use that information to set annual quotas for the KHP. Information on Victorian kangaroo surveys and population estimates.
2023 quota
The KHP quota for each harvest zone is shown below. More information can be found in the Kangaroo Harvest Quotas for Victoria, 2023 report at the bottom of this page.
| Zone | 2023 maximum quota |
|---|---|
| Central | 65,100 |
| Gippsland | 13,600 |
| North East | 11,050 |
| Otway | 15,500 |
| Lower Wimmera | 41,100 |
| Mallee | 1,550 |
| Upper Wimmera | 18,850 |
| TOTAL | 166,750 |
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
Each year 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.
ARI reports and other information can be found below.
Quota reports
More information
Landholders can apply to the Conservation Regulator for an ATCW permit to control kangaroos. Unlike the KHP, carcasses in the ATCW system cannot be sold.
If the Conservation Regulator is satisfied that control of the wildlife is necessary, an ATCW permit will be issued for a specified period and for a specified number of animals. ATCW permits include strict conditions to ensure wildlife are controlled humanely, as well as the method that must be used to control the wildlife.
To ensure the sustainability of kangaroo populations, we regularly monitor the number of kangaroos taken through both systems and can make adjustments to the program if needed.
This could include reducing the KHP quota or closing zones to harvest altogether. Any changes to the quota will be update on this webpage and harvesters will be notified.
Commercial harvesting of kangaroos is relatively new in Victoria, beginning in October 2019.
Victoria is committed to ensuring that no more than 10% of our kangaroo population is taken annually. Many other Australian states have harvesting quotas of up to 15-20%.
To sustain our kangaroo population and carefully monitor the impact of harvesting, the Victorian Government has deliberately taken a conservative approach. Our lower harvest quota reflects the cautious approach we are taking as we gain more insight about how Victoria’s kangaroo populations respond to harvesting
Page last updated: 28/12/22