Calls to release documents behind helicopter shooting of koalas in controversial plan dubbed 'medieval'
Three months after an Australian state authorised a plan to shoot over 1,000 koalas after a bushfire scorched their national park habitat, a fiery clash over what led to the decision has erupted.
At Victoria's budget estimates late on Tuesday, the state government was grilled for seven minutes about the lethal program carried out at Budj Bim National Park. It was repeatedly asked when it would publicly release documents that led to the world-first decision to kill the marsupials using shooters in helicopters.
John Bradley, the secretary of the Environment Department (DEECA), justified the aerial shooting plan, saying a veterinary expert plan that was peer reviewed judged it to be the most 'humane' response following a "rigorous process". But the Deputy Chair, the Liberal's Nick McGowan hit back, quipping that if being shot from a helicopter was doing the koalas a 'favour' then he wouldn't want any favours from the department.
'To be frank with you, it does sound like gobbledygook. And what's more, it sounds medieval,' McGowan said of DEECA's explanation of the so-called cull.
'How anyone with a shotgun from a helicopter can make these kinds of split-second assessments in killing and culling koalas seems to me somewhat barbaric.'
Related: Fear for joeys as Australia guns down hundreds of koalas from helicopters
During the session, Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos explained that only 13 per cent of Budj Bim was accessible on foot due to the topography and the risk of falling trees.
At this point McGowan chided him, saying, 'It's not Mount Everest we're talking about here.'
Due to the extraordinary circumstances following the bushfire, Dimopoulos maintained it was better to complete health checks from helicopters than on the ground.
'The people who briefed me in the department over multiple meetings… [said] you could get a better view of a koala from a helicopter because they're at the top of the tree, than you could at the bottom of the undulating ground looking up at the tree canopy,' Dimopoulos said.
'So it was actually all done in the interest of actually assessing the koala better. And while it sounds interesting, the helicopter was flying very, very low to the canopy, and that way it was more effective.'
During regular health assessments of koalas at Budj Bim, it's normal practice to bring them to the ground, according to a source who has worked on the program. But this year, DEECA took expert advice following the extraordinary situation which made access to the park difficult to stop koalas from suffering.
Of the 2,219 koalas assessed, 1,091 were examined from the ground and 1,128 from the air. In total 1,061 (48 per cent) were euthanised. Of those shot from helicopters, the bodies of 14 were recovered. And during the operation, one was taken into care for treatment.
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According to Bradley, an assessment of the "euthanasia" operation found DEECA "had been successful in humanely euthanising fire-impacted koalas in areas of the park that were not safely or readily accessible by foot and that would otherwise have been left to suffer unnecessarily."
In ordinary circumstances, scientists usually release peer-reviewed research. But the killing of koalas at Budj Bim was conducted without public scrutiny until Yahoo News was given a tip-off and began asking questions of DEECA. Several wildlife agencies were aware of the program, but later said they were unaware of its scale.
As the operation continued, DEECA responded to questions from Yahoo about how many koalas were being euthanised and what methods were being used with open, frank and detailed answers.
But now politicians and critics of the program face a new challenge. Three months after the operation began, the government has dodged requests to publicly release documents relating to why it was necessary to shoot the koalas from helicopters in the first place.
Another pressing argument for them to do so is that the Victorian state government claims the operation was a success. Because of this, many wildlife advocates are concerned DEECA could authorise aerial culling of wildlife again – something they oppose.
During budget estimates, the government was asked on three occasions when the full veterinary reports and operational data from that aerial koala cull would be released for independent scrutiny. It did not commit to doing so during the session.
Described as "euthanasia" by DEECA, and a "cull" by some ecologists and critics, the operation lasted from March 14 to April 25, and eventual publicity sparked fierce debate, making international headlines.
While koalas are federally listed as endangered in Queensland, ACT and NSW, the populations in Victoria and South Australia are considered abundant.
During budget estimates, Dimopoulos described Victoria's population as "healthy" but said there was "over-population" in locations including Budj Bim, which caused a "problem" for koalas as they were already "stressed".
According to experts with knowledge of the region and koalas, the problem has been caused by the logging of eucalypt plantations that surround the national park. When trees are cut down, koalas that live in them have nowhere to go except for Budj Bim.
After the government "euthanised" the 1,061 koalas, wildlife advocates called for it to halt timber harvesting in the surrounding area. It is yet to commit to doing so.
More than 5,000 people have signed a petition calling for an inquiry into the bluegum industry and its impact on koalas.
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