Sustainable Hunting Action Plan 2016-2020 Contents Minister’s foreword 3 Our vision 4 Our approach 4 Our focus 5 Promoting responsible hunting 5 Growing hunting’s benefits 5 Improving hunting opportunities 6 Ensuring sustainable hunting 6 Implementation 7 Objective 1: Promoting responsible hunting 8 Objective 2: Growing hunting’s benefits 8 Objective 3: Improving hunting opportunities 9 Objective 4: Ensuring sustainable hunting 9 Minister’s foreword In Victoria, we have the best of everything. With our deer, duck, quail, pheasant and partridge populations, we are regarded as having some of the best hunting opportunities in Australia. Many Victorians have a long tradition of spending quality weekends camping with family and friends and hunting game, be it close to home or further afield. It is important that game hunting in Victoria continues to be a safe, responsible and sustainable recreation for generations to come. That’s why I am pleased to release the Sustainable Hunting Action Plan. Earlier this year, the Labor Government allocated $5.3 million in the 2016/17 Victorian Budget to support the development and delivery of this plan. We’re taking steps to support hunters, because we know the importance of education, access, awareness and good communication. This plan is a significant milestone for game hunting in Victoria. Never before has government and community partnered to develop and see through so many measurable outcomes. Over the next four years, the Government will work with our agencies and the community to: • promote responsible hunting
Hunting’s benefits will be maximised by using social media to announce upcoming seasons and variations, making game meat processing easier, monitoring economic benefits and facilitating tourism. Actions 2.1 Improve seasonal announcements — by effectively communicating information to stakeholders when seasonal variations are required or areas are temporarily closed to hunting. Early advice will be provided through the Victorian Game Hunting App, Twitter and Facebook. 2.2 Facilitate game meat processing — by investigating and reducing barriers to the processing of wild harvested game meat to allow optimal use of game harvest. 2.3 Monitor social and economic benefits — by conducting a study every five years to determine the contribution of hunting to the economy. This will inform investment decisions, and improve services and regulatory outcomes. 2.4 Promote regional hunting opportunities — through targeted communication with relevant regional agencies and organisations. Objective 3: Improving hunting opportunities Hunting opportunities will be improved by providing clear information on where, when and what people can hunt, improving access to hunting locations, expanding pest and game hunting opportunities, and working with Traditional Owners. Actions 3.1 Improve hunting location knowledge — by: • developing a map set for Victoria showing where different game hunting can occur on public land. • improving signage on State Game Reserves. • improving signage on other public land where hunting is permitted including National Parks and high use State Forests. 3.2 Provide better hunting access — by: • improving physical access to State Game Reserves. • reviewing opportunities to use existing helipad facilities in alpine regions (excluding areas reserved under the National Parks Act 1975) to facilitate improved access to areas where hunting is permitted. 3.3 Expand pest hunting — by exploring further hunting opportunities by game licence holders at State Game Reserves, subject to appropriate pest control protocols. 3.4 Expand game hunting — by removing restrictions on hunting other deer species in areas reserved under the National Parks Act 1975 where Sambar Deer hunting is already permitted and exploring options to expand hunting in Victoria in partnership with Traditional Owners, land managers and relevant stakeholders. 3.5 Partner with Traditional Owners — to continue to build participation in land management and conservation, and develop a Victorian Traditional Owner Game Hunting Strategy. 3.6 Develop an online game licensing system — that allows online processing and payment of game licences. Objective 4: Ensuring sustainable hunting