UNLOCKING THE SNOWY RIVER AND ERRINUNDRA NATIONAL PARKS

DEER DIARY Sean Kilkenny

Strangely, this would have to be one of the hardest articles to write for Australian Deer, simply because I am still beside myself that the Australian Deer Association has managed to achieve the unprecedented outcome of opening two new national parks to recreational deer hunting.

However, not just any two national parks, but two national parks in prime deer habitat, totalling nearly 130,000 hectares, are to be opened up to recreational deer hunters for the first time in their history as national parks in 2026.

In a world where outdoor recreation, public land use, and activities involving firearms are under increasing pressure and are subject to a never-ending culture war, to have a government engage over the long term on this issue with the Australian Deer Association and to publicly commit to doing this as a direct result of our advocacy work is nearly surreal.

Yet here we are!

One of the great attractions of being a member of The Deer People is that we all share aspirations for a greater good and purpose, to improve the status of deer and expand public land hunting access for everyone. We are, by definition, not about ourselves but the deer and others.

That is why, with the recent passing of life member Ken Pearce, his words spoken down in Corio years ago when helping establish our Geelong branch echo louder than ever, “The ADA is about public land access for everyone”. It would have been great for him to have been here with us to share in this massive public land win, but his legacy lives on in this win.

Recreational deer hunting in national parks in Victoria is only possible due to wild deer holding game status, which is an enabler for public land access, hence why it is attacked so ferociously by politically aligned lobby groups who despise the fact that regular folk from the suburbs can enjoy access to ‘their’ national parks and why we will always fight to maintain that access for you.

From here, the government will need to amend the National Parks Act 1975 to enable recreational deer hunting in these parks. This may have already occurred by the time you read this article, with the intention that recreational deer hunting will commence in early 2026.

While we must wait until next year, and that feels like an eternity, this outcome will benefit the generations that follow us. They will get to grow up with access to the Snowy River and Errinundra national parks as the norm.

It is also important to remember that such a win was made possible by you, our members. Your unwavering support and commitment to the Australian Deer Association enable us, The Deer People, to advocate for sustainable policy settings regarding wild deer and to be recognised as the stakeholder representing Australia’s recreational deer hunters.

I know many of you are already planning trips for when the parks open, having started scouting on Google Maps and talking to friends about taking time off work for a new adventure that was once considered impossible. Be sure to make the most of this opportunity and let people know that it was made possible by the Australian Deer Association and that we are powered by deer hunters who are members.

We must also thank others who have helped along this journey, including the Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan, who acknowledged the work of the Australian Deer Association on this issue as well as the Environment and Outdoor Recreation Minister, Steve Dimopoulos, who was receptive to the idea the minute I shared it with him and to our friends at the Electrical Trades Union of Victoria whose commitment to outdoor recreation and public land access is unwavering.