Breaching a condition of your ATCW may result in severe penalties under both the Wildlife Act and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986.
ATCWs expire and are not able to be renewed. You will need to apply for a new ATCW if you continue to have wildlife issues.
Understanding the ATCW conditions
All ATCWs include strict conditions to ensure that animals are controlled humanely. You, and anyone acting on your behalf, are required by law to comply with the ATCW conditions. If you don’t comply, your authorisation may be suspended or cancelled, and you may be required to appear in court and fined.
DELWP recommends that you and/or your agent undertake firearm competency training prior to shooting wildlife.
DELWP also recommends that you read the National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos and Wallabies for Non- Commercial Purposes before shooting kangaroos. For a copy of the code visit the Commonwealth Department of Environment website: National code of practice for the humane shooting of kangaroos and wallabies for non-commercial purposes (environment.gov.au)
Use of agents or service providers
The holder of an ATCW may engage others to carry out the activities authorised by the ATCW. This person is known as your agent and you are legally responsible for their actions.
You must give a copy of the ATCW to your agent to carry whilst controlling wildlife on your behalf. It is also recommended that you specifically discuss the conditions of the ATCW with your agent.
ATCW expiry and renewal
Authorities to Control Wildlife have an expiry date and are not renewable. Each application is individually assessed against many factors, including the local and broader environmental context. If you have been issued an ATCW in the past, keep in mind that your application for a similar activity will not be automatically approved.
For more information
Should you have any questions, please visit conservationregulator.vic.gov.au or call the Customer Service Centre on 136 186.
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