In a quiet stretch of burnt bushland, the scars of fire tell only part of the story. What unfolded in the days that followed has shaken public trust, ignited political debate and left Australians demanding answers.
At the heart of the controversy lies a government decision made under the banner of wildlife management—one that has since become a symbol of secrecy and heartbreak.
How the controversy began
A lightning strike on 10 March ignited a bushfire that tore through Budj Bim National Park.
Four days later, on 14 March, Victoria’s Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action (DEECA) began its wildlife response.
Facing injured, starving and stranded koalas in terrain too rocky to reach on foot, officials authorised an aerial operation that resulted in 1,061 koalas being shot from helicopters.
The cull—reportedly signed off by a single veterinarian and later peer-reviewed by an independent expert—has become one of the most divisive wildlife management decisions in recent years.
Critics have questioned whether every alternative was explored, and whether orphaned joeys were left to suffer after their mothers were killed.
Political reaction in parliament
A petition created by the advocacy group Koala Alliance, containing thousands of signatures, was tabled in Victoria’s parliament by Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell.
She told the chamber she was ‘seeking justice for the koalas of Budj Bim’ and called for an inquiry not only into the aerial cull but also into the broader management of koalas across the state’s southwest.
‘It could set a dangerous precedent,’ Ms Purcell warned. ‘I’m not here to dispute that in some cases euthanasia of native animals may be necessary, nor am I questioning the intentions of those involved. But what I am questioning is the methods chosen, and the secretive nature behind it.’
Labor MP Jacinta Ermacora defended the government’s response, explaining that only 13 per cent of the affected area could be reached on foot and that food and water drops had failed.
‘The only viable options for the injured koalas was to leave them to deteriorate and die slowly and painfully, or end their suffering,’ she said. ‘The decision to use aerial culling was not taken lightly.’
Ms Ermacora added that the operation was peer-reviewed by an independent third-party expert after veterinary approval and that Indigenous representatives, including the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners, along with multiple animal-welfare groups, were briefed five times throughout the process.
Community concerns and legal action
Despite those assurances, many locals and wildlife advocates said they were never informed about the scale of the operation.
Australians for Animals—an advocacy group not briefed on the cull—has filed a case in the Supreme Court of Victoria, seeking to have DEECA’s actions declared unlawful and to prevent any future aerial shootings.
Nationals MP Melinda Bath said it was ‘disappointing’ that independent scientists and community members were not consulted before the cull began.
She argued that the secrecy surrounding the decision eroded public trust and highlighted the need for independent oversight in wildlife management.
‘Abominable’ and ‘barbaric’: cross-party outrage
During Budget Estimates in June, Liberal MP Nick McGowan had already condemned the program as ‘medieval’. When parliament reconvened, he called the helicopter cull ‘nothing short of an abominable act carried out under a cloak of secrecy’.
He questioned why the bodies of only 14 of the 1,061 koalas were recovered, describing it as a ‘scandal’ and an example of how ‘a bureaucracy… can lose its way’.
‘None of us in this chamber, I think for a second, are convinced that we have anything near the truth,’ he said.
Greens MP Sarah Mansfield called the mass shooting a ‘tragedy’ and a ‘wake-up call’ for stronger habitat protection.
She warned that without urgent reform, Victoria could become ‘the last remaining state with any wild koalas’ as populations continue to shrink due to deforestation and climate change.
Koala management under the spotlight
Experts have long warned that blue-gum plantation harvesting in the southwest has driven thousands of koalas to seek refuge in Budj Bim, creating unsustainable population densities.
Although koalas are listed as endangered in New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT, Victoria’s populations are not formally recognised as at risk—a gap that campaigners say leaves them vulnerable to future crises.
Ms Mansfield said the cull reflected a ‘broader failure’ to plan for native-species protection in the face of worsening bushfires and land clearing. ‘Koalas are under threat right across the country and being pushed further and further south,’ she said.
A demand for transparency
Following a vote, the state government is now compelled to provide a written response to the Koala Alliance petition.
Speaking afterwards, Ms Purcell said she was pleased the matter had reached parliament, noting that the next move lies with the government.
‘It is now up to the Victorian government to decide whether it will listen to the community or block reasonable requests for an independent inquiry to make sure this harrowing saga never happens again,’ she said.
Advocates argue the episode highlights the urgent need for transparency and humane, science-based decision-making in wildlife management—particularly as bushfires and climate pressures intensify across Australia.
Looking forward
For many Australians, the idea of shooting koalas from helicopters is confronting and deeply distressing.
Yet as natural disasters worsen and habitats shrink, wildlife officials face increasingly complex decisions.
The challenge, experts say, is ensuring those choices are made with compassion, consultation and public accountability—so that tragedies like Budj Bim never have to happen again.
Should aerial culling ever be used as a wildlife management tool, or are there more humane alternatives? Share your thoughts below and help keep this vital conversation going.
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