Reviewing the policy for wildlife rescue and release in South Australia

Livestock SA supports improving wildlife welfare but stresses that any change to South Australia’s rescue and release policy must protect agricultural businesses, biosecurity and regional landscapes. With kangaroo numbers already exceeding five million and significant impacts on grazing pressure, infrastructure, safety and land condition, unmanaged releases would increase costs and risks for producers. Interstate release models only work because they include strict landholder-consent, ecological and disease controls. Livestock SA urges the SA Government to align with these safeguards, ensure releases do not increase wildlife density in farming regions, and maintain strong biosecurity and approval processes.

Key Recommendations

• Mandatory written landholder consent for all private-land releases, including cumulative-impact checks.
• Strict release-site criteria: local population density, seasonal conditions, carrying capacity, and distance from productive farmland.
• Strong biosecurity safeguards: veterinary clearance, disease-risk assessment, exclusion from high-risk areas, alignment with regional plans.
• Clear communication with landholders, councils and communities before any release.
• Consistency with existing government programs, ensuring releases don’t undermine kangaroo-management and drought-response measures.
• Monitoring and reporting of ecological and agricultural impacts over time.