FOR once, Western Victoria MP Beverley McArthur is seemingly on the same side as the Victorian Government over duck shooting, following the closure of three wetlands to shooters in the Surf Coast Shire.
Mrs McArthur said on Wednesday that it was “shocking” that the Surf Coast Shire Council had taken the step to ban duck hunting at the three locations and neglecting its normal council duties by doing so.
“Without consultation, it is not enough to suddenly say that it should be banned for the sake of certain residents,” she said.
Her comments that “the wetlands have been there since long before any houses, and duck hunting is a traditional, sustainable, healthy, legal activity in Victoria” were in line with the Premier’s actions this week who copped a lambasting from the Coalition Against Duck Shooting for committing to further investment in the sport.
The organisation said this week that Premier Jacinta Allan had absolutely no empathy for Victoria’s sentient native waterbirds that were forced to suffer at the hands of recreational duck shooters.
The Coalition Against Duck Shooting spokesperson, Laurie Levy, said “despite Victoria’s serious financial problems, Premier Allan made a captain’s call to continue with duck shooting and spend almost $12 million of taxpayers’ money on the unpopular activity”.
“She is (sic) totally out of step with public opinion and out of step with Labor’s Parliamentary Inquiry that called for duck shooting to be banned,” he said.
“The old days of 10,000 duck shooters on a single wetland in Victoria are a thing of the past.
“Once again, this year, very few duck shooters were seen on the state’s wetlands.”
Field & Game Australia Inc., (FGA) were present at the Surf Coast Shire Council meeting that saw the Council vote in favour of the ban at three of its locations.
They were critical of the fact that the Council had not undertaken detailed consultation before seeking to end hunting at these lakes.
FGA said it had several productive conversations with MPs in recent weeks, including with Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party MP, Jeff Bourman, the Nationals’ Shadow Environment minister Emma Kealy, and Labor’s Environment and Outdoor Recreation minister, Steve Dimopoulos.
They said it was “fantastic to see bi-partisan support for responsible and sustainable hunting … and we trust such conversations will continue”.
Mr Bourman sang the praises of the premier on social media.
“They (protestors against duck shooting) bang on about being progressive and how we need to get with modern times,” he said.
“Then, a Premier comes along, a female Premier no less, that doesn’t agree with their weird view of the world so they just assume she’s doing what her man says like some sort of Stepford wife.
“No matter what your opinion of the Premier may be, you have to accept she’s been in politics for more than 20 years and climbed her way to the top and not because it was gifted to her because of her gender.
“It’s truly pathetic how the antis can change their tune when things don’t go their own way.”
The Game Management Authority is the independent authority responsible for the regulation of game hunting in Victoria.
Duck Hunting season ended 30 minutes after sunset on Wednesday evening.
