How we manage the Eastern Grey Kangaroo
Managing kangaroo populations across the ACT
As land managers, we have a responsibility to balance the health and survival of all species. The decision to reduce the numbers of a native species is carefully evaluated to ensure a positive benefit to the environment.
Eastern Grey Kangaroos are managed in selected lowland nature reserves to maintain ecological balance and benefit biodiversity. Annual monitoring of vegetation condition and kangaroo populations is used to calculate sustainable populations and inform management recommendations.
Management methods include culling and fertility control. The ACT Government continues to research and trial non-lethal strategies for maintaining grassy habitat within our reserves.
Kangaroo populations are also managed on rural lands by landowners to address the economic impacts of kangaroos on rural enterprise.
Kangaroo management is currently not undertaken within Namadgi National Park, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve or the Lower Cotter Catchment. These areas are in better condition and more connected compared to the lowland reserves. Natural predators like dingoes are still present, and there are no signs that kangaroo grazing is causing ecological damage in these landscapes.
The ACT Government is committed to evidence-based kangaroo management and is a leader in Eastern Grey Kangaroo research through its own work and through partnerships with other organisations. Research, which informs decisions about kangaroo management, includes studies on fertility control, kangaroo abundance, population dynamics and the effects of grazing on grassland and woodland biodiversity.
Visit the Macropod research page for more information on past and current research.
Kangaroo management policy
In 2017, Eastern Grey Kangaroos were declared a controlled native species under the Nature Conservation Act 2014 (NC Act).
Policies about the management of Eastern Grey Kangaroos in the ACT are set out in the Eastern Grey Kangaroo: Controlled Native Species Management Plan 2017. The plan aims to maintain kangaroo populations as a significant part of the ACT’s environment while also managing their environmental, economic and social impacts.
Under the NC Act, the Conservator of Flora and Fauna is required to review a controlled native species management plan every five years.
In 2024, the Independent Review of the Eastern Grey Kangaroo Controlled Native Species Management Plan [PDF 2.85MB] was published. The recommendations in this review were used to inform the development of a new draft management plan.
In 2025, stakeholder consultation took place on the draft revised Buru (Eastern Grey Kangaroo) Controlled Native Species Management Plan. The plan will be released later in 2026. Read the listening report [PDF 443.1 KB] from the consultation to find out what we heard.
Conservation cull
Conservation culls are conducted to reduce kangaroo populations to sustainable levels. This involves humane best practice shooting programs. Shooting is recognised by the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments and RSPCA Australia as the most humane method of culling. The ACT Government follows the National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos and Wallabies for non-commercial purposes.
The ACT uses additional measures to ensure high animal welfare standards during culling. These include:
- Requiring all kangaroo shooters to pass tests on marksmanship, the Code of Practice and macropod identification.
- Restricting culling of female kangaroos to between March and July each year to reduce the risk of orphaning young in the age bracket of 8-12 months old.
- Audits by ACT Government and independent veterinarians.
The ACT Government does not cull to address kangaroo-vehicle collisions.
The Eastern Grey Kangaroo: Controlled Native Species Management Plan 2017 includes two Culling Calculators used to determine the number of kangaroos to be culled on conservation land and rural land.
Find out more information about how we calculate sustainable populations in nature reserves.
Carcass use
Where possible, carcasses, or parts thereof, are made available for Indigenous cultural use. A proportion of the kangaroo meat is processed into baits for use within the ACT Government wild dog and fox control programs. There are no commercial kangaroo harvesting arrangements in the ACT. Given the relatively low number of kangaroos being culled, and the high costs of establishing, administering and monitoring a commercial operation, it is currently not cost-effective for the ACT Government to enter the commercial industry.
2026 conservation cull
The 2026 kangaroo management operations will start on 9 June 2026 and be completed by 31 July 2026. Fifteen reserves in the ACT will be closed during this time. Approximately 3056 kangaroos will be culled. You can find more information on the reserve closures on the Kangaroo Management Program Data webpage.
Fertility control
The GonaCon contraceptive vaccine is used in selected kangaroo populations across the ACT. This aims to slow kangaroo population growth and reduce the amount of culling required in future.
Approximately 70% of the adult female kangaroos in selected populations are being treated with GonaCon. This will:
- keep some breeding animals in the population to offset natural mortality
- help keep numbers at a sustainable level.
Extra treatments will be needed at each site in future years. This is so there are enough infertile females to slow population growth. A low level of culling may also be needed in some years to keep populations at a sustainable size relative to grassy vegetation conditions.
Fertility control is not a feasible option for all sites. It is best suited to relatively small, contained populations. In large, connected landscapes, conservation culling will continue where needed.
Managing other kangaroo and wallaby species in the ACT
The ACT Kangaroo Management Plan 2010 informs how other macropods are managed. These include:
- Common Wallaroos
- Red-necked Wallabies
- Swamp Wallabies
- All species of macropods at Googong Foreshores.
Wallabies in Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary
Fenced sanctuaries like Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary often need a range of additional management actions to protect environmental values.
The ACT Government monitors and actively manages Red-necked Wallaby and Swamp Wallaby populations in the Sanctuary. This is done to balance the health and persistence of all species in the Sanctuary and maintain a diverse and healthy grassy layer. It also protects shrubs, small trees, and saplings from over browsing by wallabies.
Wallaby population growth has increased considerably within the Sanctuary. This is because they are unable to move in and out of the site. They are also protected from predators and motor vehicle collisions.
Culling of Red-necked Wallabies and Swamp Wallabies is licenced under the Nature Conservation Act 2014 and used when needed. Trials of GonaCon contraceptive vaccine are also underway in wallabies in the Sanctuary. Using both culling and fertility control is the most humane and effective management approach for wallabies at the site.