Kangaroo quotas and take in South Australia 2025 and impact of natural disasters on wildlife populations

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Enough time will have now passed since the end of 2025 for you to have some understanding of the impact of the bounty and other subsidies to kill Kangaroos on Kangaroo harvest and quota numbers. So to continue our conversation from last year, can you pls provide the number of Kangaroos killed for commercial gain (all commercial species) in SA in 2025 and a separate list for Kangaroos killed under permits to destroy wildlife (mitigation permits including bounties and subsidies). Then as far as Kangaroos are concerned, I can complete the picture for South Australia in 2025.

For your reference this is what we said in early November 2025.

“Latest actual for 2025 (January to end October 2025), which includes the impact of the commercial component of the various bounties introduced in the year, is 100,102, that is 12 per cent of the 2025 quota of 805,800.  This number does not include the Special Land Management Quota”.

Our original estimate from January 2025 for commercial take in 2025 (pre bounties and subsidies to kill Kangaroos) was that the commercial take of Kangaroos would be 94,500 or 11.7 per cent of quota for that year.

On another note and given the dire impacts of climate change on wildlife populations in Australia, I note that the SAVEM network is active and I note was activated for the Deep Creek National Park fire. As I understand it, for that particular fire (and of course others) wildlife rescuers and rehabilitators not in the SAVEM network have been asked not to rescue Australian wildlife, nor leave food or water in fire impacted areas.

Two questions arise:

• Firstly, in regard to the SAVEM network, in which natural disasters (floods and fires) was the network operational (that is actively rescuing native animals) during 2024 / 2025 and 2026 to date?
• Secondly by species, location and outcome. How many Australian animals were rescued / rehabilitated in the years 2024 / 2025 / 2026 to date?

While the correspondence above has not been answered we were able to obtain the detail of what occurred in 2025 as a result of the bounties, what we know suggests the significant amounts spent in 2025 on bounties and incentives achieved very little in terms of killing more Kangaroos than in the case that incentives bounties had not been applied at all and are an indicator of just how few Kangaroos now live in South Australia. From the detail we have it looks as if our original comments on the impact of the bounty were fairly accurate. We will await the Government’s 2025 Kangaroo Harvest Report before further comment. The increase in incentive (see below) announced on 20 February 2026 was a doubling down to keep promoting the myths and yet another pointless waste of tax payers money.

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The Government of South Australia’s Drought Support Program from 26/11/2024 to 20/01/2026; What actually happened?

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Funds dispersed as daily incentives. $86,300 dispersed as daily incentives from 26/11/2024 to 20/01/2026  

Funds dispersed as grants for field processors. $359,938 dispersed as grants from 26/11/2024 to 20/01/2026  

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Funds dispersed for commercial harvesting permits to field processors.  NIL

The Drought Support Program does not disperse funds for application for commercial harvesting permits. However, $381,061 has been dispersed from 26/11/2024 to 20/01/2026 to harvesters as incentives ($5 per kangaroo and daily incentives) for the commercial harvest of Kangaroos. Claims for incentives for January 2026 have not yet been received or processed.

Funds dispersed for Destruction Permits to field processors. NIL

The Drought Support Program does not disperse funds for application for Destruction Permits (such as application fees). Destruction Permits are issued by the Department for Environment and Water. PIRSA has dispersed $13,654 in incentives to Commercial field processors (who already have destruction permits) for the destruction of Kangaroos from 26/11/2024 to 20/01/2026.

Funds dispersed for Destruction Permits to primary producers. NIL

The Drought Support Program does not disperse funds for application for Destruction Permits (such as application fees). Destruction Permits are issued by the Department for Environment and Water.  PIRSA has dispersed $7,500 in incentives to Primary Producers (who already have destruction permits) for the destruction of Kangaroos from 26/11/2024 to 20/01/2026.

Details of any claims related to these permits or associated incentives/grants that were denied, including the reason for each denial. Nil

No claims for incentives or grants from 26/11/2024 to 20/01/2026 were denied, but some claims for incentives were refined by field producers during review by PIRSA, to clarify information or details such as dates, number of kangaroos harvested and GST.  Some claims for incentives are awaiting more information (as per requirements in the program guidelines) before they can be processed.

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Signs of desperation from a government in caretaker mode

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“Producers can access a Kangaroo removal incentive, which has now been increased from $5 to $7 per animal. This increase aligns payments for landholders with those available to commercial harvesters and recognises the costs involved, including labour, fuel and ammunition. The updated rate will apply from 20 February 2026 and remain in place until program funds are exhausted. Producers will still be required to provide necessary evidence to ensure removals occur on permitted properties and maintain the integrity of the program”. Government of South Australia, 20 February 2026

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