Kangaroo culling in the ACT
ABC Illawarra (Wollongong), NSW Country Hour, 20/03/2009 12:11pm
The Department of Defence (DOD) has finally accepted the need to cull more kangaroos in the ACT. Ecologists are saying overgrazing is significantly damaging the native grasslands and the habitats for endangered species. A new ACT Government report says the cull is urgently required and has gained the support of the RSPCA. Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment Dr Maxine Cooper is calling for the kangaroos to be culled within in the next year and for an expansion of the reserve systems to better protect endangered species. Cooper acknowledges the fact that 1000 kangaroos die through collisions with motor vehicles per year, but says there is no other option to the kills. Other independent scientific studies agree the cull is longer overdue, as eastern grey kangaroos are starving to death. Justin Billing explains his studies into kangaroo bone marrow fat have proved the suffering of the starving kangaroos. Parliamentary Secretary of Defence Support Dr Mike Kelly will direct the department to take action on the matter. Farmer Sherry McArdle-English claims the excessive kangaroo population has forced her to sell sheep. Past animal rights protestors have delayed culls on DOD land, but Cooper argues the kangaroo population is causing agony for communities.
Interviewee: Dr Maxine Cooper, Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment; Justin Billing, researcher; Dr Mike Kelly, Parliamentary Secretary, Defence Support; Sherry McArdle-English, farmer.
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