Advocacy groups including Environment Victoria, the Invasive Species Council, Friends of the Earth, and agriculture bodies are urging urgent funding for a coordinated, widespread deer-control program and are labeling the deer as an invasive species emergency.

The government, ahead of the November state election, previously rejected expert advice to list feral deer as a pest, arguing current arrangements already allow deer control and defending the decision.

Farmers warn that deer damage fences, crops, and waterways and pose safety risks on rural roads, arguing that protection of deer undermines efforts to implement effective eradication or control measures.

The deer control strategy concedes that eradication is not feasible with current methods, while Victorians express a preference for focusing on managing impacts rather than treating deer as a hunting resource; opposition parties criticize the government for slow action and reliance on paperwork over on-ground measures.

Farmers and environmental groups condemn the Allan government for protecting feral deer as a protected game species despite an estimated population of about 1 million, the highest in Australia.

There have been incidents of deer entering urban areas, including inner-city streets and a suburban home, highlighting peri-urban spread and biosecurity risks to Australia’s $100 billion agricultural sector.

The campaign is drawing cross-stakeholder support from the Victorian Farmers Federation and various ecological groups, framed as a test for the upcoming election and signaling a potential policy shift toward a more aggressive deer-containment approach.