The Victorian Government announced in the 2020-21 State Budget an $18.25 million investment over 4 years and $4.4 million per year ongoing on deer control, as part of the Victorian Deer Control Strategy.
The Victorian Deer Control Program provides funding to enable deer control and associated management actions, as well as to deliver on key Strategy actions.
Funded programs and key projects
Funding was provided to deliver immediate deer management actions in 2021-22 following release of the Victorian Deer Control Strategy in October 2020. This included on-ground deer control in high biodiversity locations, and key Strategy actions including a statewide deer survey and a taxonomic review of deer species.
Following release of the Peri-urban Deer Control Plan in March 2022, the Deer Control Program funded 28 projects for works in 2022-24 across Victoria. Public land managers, water authorities and local government coordinated control, monitoring and other deer management actions, with a new strategic focus on priority locations identified in the new plan in the peri-urban area.
Peri-urban Community Deer Grants in 2023 also supported the initial delivery of actions in the Peri-urban Deer Control Plan. These grants assisted community groups and land managers, with $250,000 provided for fencing, education, engagement, monitoring and professional deer control, and also supported local volunteer deer controllers to purchase specialist equipment and supplies.
You can read more about these actions at past projects.
The release of the East and West Victoria Deer Control Plans in April 2023 initiated a further round of funding for projects, with strategic priority locations for control now mapped statewide. Delivery partners are collaborating with adjoining land managers and agencies, to deliver cross-tenure ground and aerial control in priority locations in 2024-25.
Previous large-scale surveillance projects in the west region of Victoria have now shifted to focus on control in areas identified with high deer numbers and impacts. All projects are strategically located to address priorities in the regional plans and are consistent with the Biosecurity Approach, aiming to prevent new deer populations establishing or spreading.
In addition to on-ground project delivery, the program has also funded the Australian Deer Association, the Victorian Deer Control Community Network, genetic research, a deer farming review, development of deer monitoring guidelines (in progress), and projects lead and delivered by Traditional Owners.
Page last updated: 21/08/24