“Long overdue” reform of Victoria’s Wildlife Act is not enough to protect persecuted species

SYDNEY (17 October 2025)—Humane World for Animals Australia says reforms to Victoria's Wildlife Act, announced by Victoria’s Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos today, are a step in the right direction to protect animals, but the updates fall short in what is required for adequate protection of the state’s native animals. This reform closely follows the recent release of figures showing that 2,692 wombats were allowed to be killed in Victoria in 2024—a 30% increase from 2023. 

First drafted in 1975, the Act has long been criticised as outdated, opaque and ineffective at protecting wildlife. During its lifetime, the Act has enabled the mass killing of Australian native wildlife such as wombats and kangaroos and has been deficient in prosecuting the illegal killing of wedge-tailed eagles and koalas. 

Responding to an Independent Review of the Act submitted to the Government in 2021, Minister Dimopoulos outlined stronger penalties for the illegal killing of wildlife, which are an essential deterrent against wildlife crime. In addition, the Minister outlined plans to disqualify the legal owning of crocodiles as pets and update licensing systems for some wildlife such as venomous snakes. 
 
While welcoming this overdue progress, Humane World for Animals Australia is disappointed that the announcement does not address the institutional change recommended by the Expert Advisory Panel to create a new Act “that recognises fauna’s intrinsic value and provides for the inherent rights of wildlife to exist without undue interference or impingement on quality of life” or include reform to the regime that allows for the mass legal killing of Victoria's native animals.  

“Victoria’s Wildlife Act has sanctioned the cruel persecution of the state's native wildlife for 50 years,” said Humane World for Animals Australia’s Director, Campaigns, Nicola Beynon. “While we are grateful that the Victorian Government is finally tabling the Wildlife Act for amendment and inclusion of stronger penalties, we implore Minister Dimopoulos to work with parliament on a wider overhaul of the law and to rectify the neglect that native animals have suffered for far too long”. 

The Act arms individuals, groups or private enterprise in Victoria with Authority to Control Wildlife (ATCWs)—licenses for the destruction of native animals. In 2024 alone, more than 176,000 native animals were authorised for killing in Victoria under ATCWs. This included 2,692 bare-nosed wombats, 110,663 eastern grey kangaroos, and 1,365 rainbow lorikeets. 

These figures contribute to a national problem of native animal persecution, outlined in Humane World for Animals Australia’s Licence to Kill Report.  

“The legislation desperately needs updating as it has allowed the devastating destruction of millions of Australian animals since its conception half a century ago,” added Ms Beynon. "The mass killing of Victoria’s native animals must end and our native species must get the protection they deserve”. 

Humane World for Animals Australia has consistently called for reform of the Act to overhaul the lax system which makes it too easy to kill wildlife in Victoria, including:

• Recognising animal sentience in law and mandating welfare protections. 

• Ending exemptions that allow wildlife killing under ATCWs to bypass cruelty safeguards. 

• Requiring landholders to prove the damage caused by animals and to trial non-lethal strategies. 

• Strengthening transparency through mandatory reporting and a public register of ATCWs. 

• Investing in humane, non-lethal coexistence strategies for landholders.