The Authority to Control Wildlife (ATCW) permit system is broken.
Native wildlife is protected in Victoria under the Wildlife Act 1975 and it is illegal to kill, trap or disturb wildlife without a permit. However, permits called Authorities to Control Wildlife (ATCWs) can be issued when wildlife is causing damage to property, posing a risk to human health and safety or is negatively impacting other biodiversity values... essentially, a tick-and-flick licensing system.
The 2020 & 2021 ATCW data shows that permits were issued by the Conservation Regulator in Victoria to lethally 'control':
- 118,418 Eastern Grey Kangaroos
- 15,135 Red Kangaroos
- 8,985 Corellas
- 7,722 Western Grey Kangaroos
- 3153 Wombats
- 2,824 Wallabies
- 1143 Welcome Swallows
- 619 Crimson Rosellas
- 305 Silvereyes
- 120 Black Swans
And that is barely touching the surface. Eastern and Western Grey Kangaroos harvested under the Kangaroo Harvesting Program are not included in the data!