Regional Victorians

It's around this time of year that people who live and work around Victoria's wetlands start to feel heightened anxiety. For many there are concerns about noise and disruption from unsupervised shooting from before daylight for months each year. For them and many others, concerns about the killing and maiming of hundreds of thousands of our native waterbirds including protected species, many unique to Australia whose numbers have been declining for years. According to shootin

Correct, these are not game ducks. Sadly it often makes no difference. Picture Purple Swamphen with chick, courtesy Eleanor Dilley. Waterbirds like these are too frequently illegally shot in duck shooting. This season a purple swamphen was found in the reeds badly suffering with two broken legs, days after being shot 1990 Recreational Duck shooting outlawed in West Australia “There is widespread opposition throughout the community to the cruelty and environmental damage cause

There have been few happy stories in the media today regarding animal welfare, an issue of importance to 98% of Victorians (Labor Government's Animal Welfare Action Plan 2017). The decline in biodiversity in our country - indeed our state - brings tears to the eyes. We can't let World Animal Day conclude without making mention of the plight of our precious native waterbirds, many species unique to our country. In recreational native waterbird shooting, typically around 400,00

Watch this short clip to learn why progressive states and territories know duck shooting is no walk in the park. The Victorian government is not living up to our commitment to animal welfare. #ANIMALWELFARE #cruelty #shooters #rspca #wildlife #victoriangovernment

To Get It Done for Rural Victoria. Countering perhaps his only party member with vision, Michael O'Brien - new Liberal leader - recently dismissed James Newbury's call to ban duck shooting, saying the activity is "regulated". While it may be "regulated" in theory, duck shooting is not monitored at thousands of public waterways, often in close proximity to residents, posing unacceptable risk to the public and our struggling native waterbirds. Perhaps Mr O'Brien might care to j

"Sport" = an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against eachother or others for entertainment. (Oxford dictionary) Sadly, many shooting lobbies and political parties have so far refused to distinguish between a regulated sport and uncontrollable cruelty in Victoria. Duck shooting does not just impact our struggling numbers of native waterbirds in a shockingly inhumane way (one of the main reasons why other states have banned

Well. What a wild time! On behalf of rural communities around the state and our stunning native waterbirds who can't speak for themselves, THANK YOU to our wonderful supporters who help in so many different ways. To the fabulously talented photographers who send us your truly stunning work, thank you. To those who have shared with us your own personal stories of how duck shooting impacts your families and activities, thank you. To those who add to the lively discussion on ou

Uncontrolled shooting & the prospect of decentralisation. Families living around tens of thousands of waterways can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The three month shooting of our native waterbirds dawn to dusk is over, for now. It was a surprise the season went ahead at all. Only months prior, Ministers had committed to animal welfare and regional development. There’s no doubt about the inhumane suffering of our native waterbirds caused by shotgun pellet spray (one reason

RURAL STAKEHOLDERS TURN TO TV TO BE HEARD. It's time to listen to the professional polls which say the vast majority of Victorians want duck shooting banned. It's time to heed thousands of letters and many tens of thousands of signatures on petitions from Victorians who want duck shooting banned. It's time to heed advice of independent experts in areas of ecoscience, animal welfare, birdlife and economics who advise duck shooting should be banned. It's time to concede that th

Our children should not have to grow up with gunfire, violence and cruelty. PLEASE, CLICK ON THIS POST to ADD YOUR VOICE. We sincerely apologise to those who may find this disturbingly graphic. Sadly, this is not the worst of what our children find, whilst innocently walking around the otherwise beautiful public waterways which rural Victoria is blessed with. In a modern caring society, these waterways should be utilised in a more ethical, sustainable, safe and humane way. Pl

Watch this short video and have your say. With 98 percent of Victorians metro and rural telling our state government that animal welfare is important, it's pleasing to see the Minister for Agriculture recently announcing new animal welfare measures. We need her to be true to her word for the sake of our precious native waterbirds, hundreds of thousands of whom are brutally killed and maimed at waterways around Victoria each Autumn. Other states have long banned the practise f

#ANIMALWELFARE #CRUELTY #birds #wildlife #victoriangovernment #environment #ecosystem