Protecting Nillumbik’s Kangaroos: A Community Victory

This little joey’s face helped a community stand up for its wildlife.

We were determined to win – and we did. Nillumbik’s kangaroos are no longer part of Victoria’s commercial slaughter program.

Strong community campaigns can – and often do – succeed.

Throughout 2023, many of us worked tirelessly to get Nillumbik kangaroos out of this abhorrent program. We produced flyers with this little joey’s face and plastered them on noticeboards. We emailed our networks, held public meetings, and talked to decision-makers. Rain, hail or shine, we spoke to people at markets and festivals, and outside shops.

Most people had no idea that 65,000 kangaroos were targeted for shooting in Victoria’s Central Region – and that Nillumbik’s kangaroos were included. They were horrified this could happen in a Green Wedge area, where there are more “Land for Wildlife” properties than farms, and where kangaroos and wildlife are deeply valued.

We contacted Aiv Puglielli, Greens MP for the North-Eastern Metro, who grew up in Eltham. He was a strong voice for us in Parliament and in the media, putting pressure where it counted.

Support grew fast: 602 people signed our paper petition, and nearly 15,000 signed our online petition. The message was clear – the Nillumbik community wanted its kangaroos protected.

Nillumbik Council listened. Spearheaded by councillors Ben Ramcharan and Fran Eyre, the council voted to advocate to the Victorian Government for Nillumbik to be taken out of the program.

Our campaign worked. Nillumbik was removed, effective from 2025. Other campaigns, including on the Mornington Peninsula, also won. The State Government ultimately pulled almost all peri-urban areas from the program.

But that little joey’s face is also a reminder of the ones still not safe. Across Victoria, kangaroos continue to be gunned down in a program listed under “Game Hunting”, alongside duck hunting, as if killing native wildlife were a valid recreational pastime.

We saved Nillumbik’s kangaroos. But until this mindset changes – until wildlife is valued for life, not for sport – the fight is far from over.