Recreational hunting has rarely enjoyed such recognition in contemporary Victorian politics. As a regionally based Premier, Jacinta Allan demonstrated an understanding of the importance of hunting, fishing and access to the outdoors - not only as recreational pursuits, but as activities that support regional communities, contribute to land management and form part of the way of life of many Victorians.
One of the earliest and most consequential decisions of the Allan Government was to secure the continuation of recreational duck and quail hunting. That decision rejected calls for a ban and paved the way for the introduction of an adaptive harvest model intended to ensure that future duck seasons remain sustainable and grounded in scientific evidence.
Throughout her premiership, the Australian Deer Association was able to engage productively with the Premier and her ministers. That engagement, supported by years of sustained advocacy and policy development, contributed to outcomes that many previously considered impossible, including:
• maintaining the game status of wild deer;
• opening Snowy River National Park to seasonal recreational deer hunting;
• opening Errinundra National Park to seasonal recreational deer hunting;
• securing the $1 million “Game-Changing Huts” initiative;
• obtaining funding for Agriculture Victoria to undertake the policy work required to develop a pathway for wild-shot venison to be processed by a butcher; and
• the drafting and introduction of legislation to establish Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Victoria, an authority intended to promote and support recreational hunting and other forms of outdoor recreation in a manner that more closely reflects the longstanding government support provided to recreational fishing.
This period also included the Great Outdoors Taskforce and the government’s confirmation that it would not proceed with the proposed Great Forest National Park. That proposal would have reclassified significant areas of public land and risked displacing long-established recreational access and use.
Premier Allan also oversaw Victoria’s response to the Bondi tragedy and the subsequent Rapid Review of Victoria’s firearms laws. While elements of the government’s response will require continued scrutiny, it rejected an arbitrary cap on firearm ownership and retained existing licence periods. In doing so, Victoria adopted a more measured approach than some other jurisdictions and acknowledged the legitimate needs of recreational hunters, primary producers and sporting shooters.
These outcomes should be recognised, but they should not be mistaken for completed work.
The enduring test of this period will not be the announcements themselves, but whether they become embedded in legislation, institutions and practice strongly enough to survive changes of Premier, government and political fashion.
Access is now available in Snowy River and Errinundra national parks. Funding has been committed to the huts initiative, but significant work remains to ensure that one or more huts are delivered in suitable locations and in a form that genuinely meets the needs of hunters and other outdoor recreational users.
Most immediately, the legislation to establish Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Victoria must complete its final parliamentary stage. From there, attention must turn to the authority’s implementation, the composition of its board and advisory structures, and ensuring that hunters retain an effective voice in the decisions that affect them. The authority must become more than an administrative merger. It must deliver on the promise of actively supporting participation, improving access and recognising hunting as a legitimate and valuable outdoor activity.
The pathway for processing wild-shot venison must also continue to advance from policy development to a practical system that hunters and butchers can use. Each of these initiatives has the potential to produce lasting benefits, but none will deliver its full value without continued advocacy, technical input and political commitment.
Victoria now enters a new phase under Premier Ben Carroll, only months before what appears likely to be a highly unpredictable state election. The Australian Deer Association will approach this transition as it approaches every change of political leadership: constructively, independently and on the merits of the policies before us.
We acknowledge Jacinta Allan’s contribution and the willingness of her government to engage seriously with recreational hunters. We also invite the new Premier, his government, the opposition and the next Parliament to build upon that work. Recognition of hunting should not depend upon the presence of any one individual or political party. The strongest policy outcomes are those that attract broad support and become sufficiently effective that future governments seek to improve them rather than dismantle them.
Australian politics will continue to be shaped by an increasingly urbanised society in which lawful firearm use is less common and direct exposure to hunting and regional ways of life is reduced. As a consequence, decision-makers with a practical understanding of recreational hunting, wild deer management and lawful firearm ownership may also become rarer.
That reality reinforces the importance of making the most of opportunities when they arise. It also demonstrates why ADA must remain credible, non-partisan and prepared to work with all sides of politics. Our responsibility is not simply to secure announcements for today, but to convert opportunities into lasting reforms that will continue to benefit hunters, wild deer management and regional communities long after the political circumstances that made them possible have changed.
Nothing is forever. That is precisely why we must make the progress achieved today strong enough to endure tomorrow.
