Pukapunyal Kangaroo Kill Protests!
Between May 2002 and November 2003 Five Permits were issued to the Australian Defence Force to kill between 36,000 and 40,00 healthy kangaroos at Pukapunyal Army base in Victoria. Instigation of legal action, and protests by activists at Pukapuyal Army Base during this period, may have contributed to a cessation of the Pukapunyal kangaroo kill. We were told unofficially that the kill has ceased, but have yet to have it confirmed by the Military. Our sources believe the Military management has been told not to kill any more kangaroos. An appeal was filed in the Victorian Administrative Appeals Tribunal, and an Injunction in the Supreme Court to stop the kill has been sought. On Friday and Saturday last week, activists staged two successful protest actions outside the Army Base. As well, letters have been written to the relevant Federal Ministers, the Australian Defence Force Commander, and the Secretary of Defence. Fridays’ protest action was particularly successful, and we repeat the details here for other protestors to use in other campaigns. On the Friday morning, we had 7 vehicles, and around 20 people. The Plan was that some vehicles would carry protesters and banners, who would park nearby and display the banners adjacent to the Main Gates. 5 vehicles would drive directly up to the boom gates, and ask the Security guards if they could go inside. We knew permission would be refused. After some discussion, the car would turn around, drive to the end of the lineup, and the next vehicle would ask permission to enter. In practice, by the time the first car returned to the end of the line, several army and service vehicles were in the line as well! We finished up, over the course of an hour or so, having a blockade of more than 40 vehicles, many of which contained army personnel, who unknowingly became part of the blockade! Good stuff!
The only down note, one lady went into the local veterinarians office to talk to him about the kangaroo kill, and was ordered off the premises! The Pukapunyal base is a 44,000 hectare Army training area, Commonwealth land owned by the Australian Defence Force. It is listed on the Australian Heritage Register. There are extensive grasslands, and large areas are well forested.
Other than the kangaroos, crows and currawongs, the place appears to be an environmental desert, which is not unusual for cattle properties. The forest under story, which should support and provide shelter and habitat for the smaller birds and animals, has been smashed and destroyed by the cattle. 1080 baits have been put out for foxes.
Pukapunyal is home to a significant population of Eastern grey kangaroos, arguably the largest remnant population in Victoria. To kill the majority of such an important remnant population is unforgivable, yet that’s what the Army management intended to do. They claim in the media to have killed something like 30,000 kangaroos already, but they really wouldn’t know how many have been shot — or wounded!
Photo, one of the dead kangaroos on Pukapunyal Army Base! Generally, wildlife and Military training can co-exist together, but in this case there appears to many different agendas at work. An “advisory committee” had been set up, consisting almost entirely of bureaucrats and farmers who hate kangaroos, and support the kill. In typical military paranoia, the committee members are gagged from making public statements. No management plan has yet been produced by the Military. Currently Defence has in excess of 200 sites listed on the Register of the National Estate and has several properties with World Heritage Listings. On one of their web pages, Defence claims to “take our heritage obligations and opportunities seriously and ensure that they are taken into account when decisions are made about Defence assets.” ??? The Minister for Defence at time was Senator the Hon Robert Hill, formerly the Federal Environment Minister. Our letters to the Minister were never responded to. The Minister assisting the Defence Minister was the Hon Danna Vale, who has publicly been very supportive of an Industry based on the killing of the kangaroos. The Hon. Fran Bailey was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, another very strong supporter of killing the kangaroos. It has been alleged that Danna Vales family was one of the graziers using Pukapunyal as a “long paddock”. Clearly there is a political agenda here too, as rural politicians desperately try to grab for rural votes, at any cost to the wildlife. One local so-called wildlife carer, who happens to be married to one of the Army staffers, has also been very supportive, enthusiastic and vocal at a local level, promoting the killing of the kangaroos. This person also sits on the so-called Advisory Committee!
In spite of claims made by the Military and others, the kangaroos are not starving, and never were. The farmers who graze their cattle on the base, just wanted the kangaroos gone, so they could have more grass for their cattle! Other rural elements want to start up a commercial kangaroo Industry, because the kangaroos are trapped, can’t escape, and could be easily “harvested” for profit.
Photo shows activists getting out of the Army Base after inspecting shot kangaroos! Victoria is the only State that doesn’t kill kangaroos commercially, because there simply are not enough kangaroos to make a commercial Industry viable. The Victorian Department of Sustainability and the Environment hands out permits to farmers to kill kangaroos, for crop protection purposes only. They are not allowed to sell the skins or carcasses, although there is some illegal trafficking of kangaroo meat. Some local politicians and the farmers are lobbying the State government to allow a commercial kill, but so far the Brack government has refused. That may be because he knows we would immediately take legal action if he did! The Base is ringed by a 6 foot seven strand electric fence, and another 4 foot high fence situated a meter or so outside that. In spite of the fact that we did see one kangaroo roll itself through the electric fence from the outside, the kangaroos are trapped inside and can’t escape to other areas. The carcasses of several dead kangaroos can be seen, caught up by the feet in the outside fence. The electric fence, proudly proclaimed on a large sign as the Kangaroo Control Fence, goes right around the perimeter of the Base, and effectively traps the kangaroos inside, so they don’t annoy the local farmers. The fence cost 10 million dollars to build, and was funded by the local Landcare groups, local ratepayers, and the farmers organisations. (All public money!) We were informed that when the fence was being erected, scores of echidnas were trapped under the bottom wire and killed. The fence had to be altered to prevent the echidnas from being caught. While the kangaroo killing was going on, local activists went and cut the fence in strategic areas, so the kangaroos could escape into the adjoining forests. Unfortunately because the conditions inside the Base were good for the kangaroos, many didn’t leave, and were shot.
There are still several fairly large mobs, of up to one hundred or more kangaroos, inside the Base. A drive around the perimeter of the Base at dusk, and one can see more kangaroos than one could arguably see anywhere else in Victoria, possibly in Australia!
So what are the answers? Well killing them is not it, because in a few months when they breed up, they will want to start killing them again. They have to look for a permanent solution. The cattle have been removed, which is a start, but they need to stay out. We believe that the first thing to do is determine where strategic wildlife corridors could be found and utilised. According the local Members office, the local community is equally divided on the issue, with 50 % or so opposed to killing the kangaroos. We found indications that the percentage of people opposed to the kill would be much higher than that. On our trips around the perimeter, we noticed that many farms had No Shooting signs up, and several properties had kangaroos resting around their houses, clearly not being harassed. While there appears to be quite a bit of illegal shooting by local louts, many local properties have Land for Wildlife signs on their gates. In conjunction with the nearby State Forests and Conservation Areas, and with permission of a few nearby property owners, 3 or four safe corridors could be established, away from main road and intensive, subsistence farming areas, and the electric fence could come down in those areas. The ADF has more than enough money to purchase a few properties if necessary. They have already spent 2 1/2 million dollars on killing the kangaroos! The Sun Herald estimated the total cost at $5 million! That would have brought several large properties for corridors! The kangaroos would be free to come and go, and mix with the other wild Victorian populations, and continue to maintain the genetic strength and diversity that they must have to survive. Such corridors could even link up with similar corridors in the other adjoining States. There are many rural residents who would like to ensure we do not lose our kangaroos!
We insisted that cattle and horses should be permanently removed. There are many internal fences, built to accommodate the farmers who have been getting free, or nearly free grazing in Pukapunyal. They need to be dismantled or opened up to allow freedom of movement for the kangaroos, and introduced pest fodder grasses controlled.
They did take some cattle out, but have since put them back in. The Pukapunyal Base should also have it’s “Land for Wildlife” status removed. It doesn’t deserve to have it. A properly constituted National Management Advisory Committee needs to be established. This is a National issue, on Commonwealth land, that needs to be addressed at a National level, and financially vested-interest parties should be excluded. Last but not least, the Australian Defence Force must develop a fauna management plan with appropriate public input, that applies to all Defence Force properties. The military own several very large training properties around Australia, all of which have significant environmental values. Generally, ADF environmental management is ad hoc, uncoordinated, a vague statement, or just plain non-existent. National Fauna Management Plans that are developed through consultation with wildlife protection groups would ensure that these areas remain environmentally viable, and would eliminate the public relations disaster that the ADF stupidity has imposed on itself at Pukapunyal. Contrary to what many people think, most of these training areas do not receive huge and devastating impacts from normal training. Impacts of bombs and heavy artillery are confined to specific areas, which are regularly closed and revegetated. Much of the training use is for radio networks, engineering, target shooting, map reading and so on. There is no reason why the Australian Defence Forces and wildlife cannot both peacefully co-habit these areas. Urban sprawl, and government agency mismanagement of National Parks, has removed many of the safe refuges for our wildlife. The large Australian Defence Force training areas provide an essential refuge for preserving and protecting remnant populations. After all, the ADF is probably the only government body that has enough money to properly environmentally manage large areas of public land. The military budget is quarantined, and never subjected to cuts, as other budgets are. Tourism has a consumptive value of 63 billion dollars a year. Kangaroos are the second most well known tourist icon in the World, after the Statue of Liberty. Most tourists who come to Australia come to see the wildlife. Few tourists see wild kangaroos, although they all want to. It would be easy to fill up several buses with overseas tourists from Melbourne backpacker accommodation houses, and take them for an afternoon drive around the perimeter of Pukapunyal to see the wild kangaroos. It’s only an hour and a half from Melbourne, the busiest City in Australia. They could overnight in one of the many nearby, nearly broke, motels or hotels. Such an Industry could put millions of dollars into the local regional economy. But no, that’s too easy, the Australian Defence Force would rather keep a few local farmers happy, and kill the kangaroos instead. As we continue a campaign to manage the Pukapunyal (and all Defence Force ) land and wildlife more responsibly, there will be much more to come out publicly on the Pukapunyal kangaroo issue, we guarantee it! We will be continuing our campaign for better environmental management, until it actually happens, or until we get a change of government that will see that it really does happen! Pat O’Brien Footnote; As at June 2006, the Australian Defence Force have still flatly refused to be involved in any meaningful community consultation process in regard to managing ADF areas. Below is a large advertisement we ran in the local newspaper. FACTS THE DEFENCE DEPT. NEVER TOLD YOU ABOUT THE PUKAPUNYAL KANGAROO KILL! 1* The kangaroos are not starving. 2* The kangaroos are trapped by a 6’ electric fence built explicitly to keep them off nearby farmland. 3* The kill is cruel, brutal, and unnecessary. 4* The kangaroos are the largest remnant mob left in Victoria, and protection of their gene pool is critical to their survival. 5* The perimeter fence can be opened up in strategic areas away from roads, and the kangaroos can disperse through selected wildlife corridors. Internal fences need to be removed. 6* The kill is part of an agenda to allow the commercial killing of kangaroos in Victoria. Currently there are not enough kangaroos in Victoria to sustain an Industry. State commercial kangaroo management Plans are all being challenged in the Federal Court of Appeals Tribunal by wildlife groups. 7* The kangaroo kill is more about providing grass for a few local farmers who graze cattle in Pukapunyal, than anything else. Introduced weeds are rampant throughout the Base. Phalaris, planted for stockfeed, is toxic to kangaroos. 8* No management plan has been released. The Australian Defence Force should have its Land for Wildlife status revoked. 9* The Australian Defence Force has a legal responsibility under the Heritage Act to ensure Pukapunyal is appropriately managed for it’s environmental values, as it is listed under the National Estate. Killing the kangaroos is in violation of the Heritage Act. 10* The Pukapunyal kangaroos offer an opportunity to bring hundreds of thousands of dollars into regional Victoria. Tourism in Australia has a consumptive value of 63 billion dollars yearly. Kangaroos are the second most well known tourist icons, after the Statue of Liberty. Every overseas tourist wants to see wild kangaroos, but very few can. Only 1 ½ hours from Melbourne, on an afternoon bus drive around the Pukapunyal perimeter, tourists can see hundreds of them. This could create hundreds of thousands of dollars for regional Victoria, and Seymour, with plenty of good accommodation, becoming a boom town based on kangaroo viewing tourism. 11* We know there are many people who are outraged at the kangaroo slaughter. The Federal Ministers responsible are; Senator the Hon Robert Hill, Minister for Defence, the Hon Danna Vale, Member for Hughes, and Minister assisting the Minister for Defence, and the Hon Fran Bailey, Member for McEwen, and Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister for Defence. Her seat is marginal. Their addresses are; c/o Parliament House Canberra, ACT, 2600. Please write to them and express your concerns. This advertisement has been funded by supporters of the National Kangaroo Protection Coalition, an alliance of 20 Australian wildlife and animal protection groups. A fighting fund has been established to stop the kill, and ensure that such a tragedy never happens again. For more information, contact Pat OBrien, Wildlife Protection Assn. of Australia, Inc, PO Box 309, Beerwah, Qld, 4519 Ph 0408 711344 Email; info@wildlifeprotectaust.org.au END ADVERT.
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