Young shooters at the centre of Victoria’s hunting debate

Victoria’s proposed Outdoor Recreation Victoria (ORV) agency has become the latest flashpoint in the state’s long-running debate over hunting, shooting and public land.

The Outdoor Recreation Victoria Bill 2026 would merge the Game Management Authority (GMA) and the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) into a new statutory body called Outdoor Recreation Victoria.

The government says the change would streamline administration, retain existing regulatory duties and support wider participation in outdoor activities including fishing, hunting, camping, four-wheel driving and boating.

Critics see it differently. They argue the bill risks blurring the line between regulating hunting and promoting it, especially following reports that the new agency could promote shooting activities to young people who meet Victoria’s existing licensing rules. It could change how hunting is spoken about, supported, promoted and scrutinised in Victoria.

What Outdoor Recreation Victoria would do
The new agency would take over the work currently handled by the GMA and VFA.

That means game hunting regulation would not disappear. The government has said ORV would retain the strong regulatory responsibilities currently managed by the GMA and VFA, while also expanding into broader outdoor recreation participation and access.

The bill’s stated objects include promoting sustainability and responsibility in game hunting, recreational fishing and boating, along with supporting the development of outdoor recreation and related sectors.

In practical terms, ORV would become the main home for game hunting, fishing and wider outdoor recreation policy in Victoria.

The bill would also create a stronger public-land access focus, including work on information, facilities and a proposed Land Access Panel.

That will catch the attention of anyone who hunts, fishes, camps, drives forest tracks or uses public land for recreation. Access is often the difference between a right that exists on paper and an activity people actually take part in.

Why the debate has sharpened
The Herald Sun reported concerns that ORV could promote shooting to children as young as 12, prompting criticism from the Alannah & Madeline Foundation and the Animal Justice Party.

That reporting has turned a governance bill into a public argument about young people, firearms and what a government agency should encourage.

Victoria already allows juniors aged 12 to 17 to apply for a Junior Firearm Licence. Juniors who hunt game also need a Victorian Game Licence, and firearm use by anyone under 18 must be supervised by a fully licensed adult.

A person must still be 18 to obtain an adult licence and own a firearm in their own right.

Those safeguards are important. The bill does not remove firearm licensing, adult supervision or game-licence requirements.

Still, the criticism is politically potent. To opponents, the idea of a public agency promoting hunting and shooting to young people feels wrong, even though participation under strict licensing rules remains lawful. To supporters, supervised junior participation is a legitimate part of hunting and country life, much like young people learning fishing, farming, dog handling or safe tool use under adult supervision.

“Hunting should absolutely be promoted to juniors,” SSAA Inc CEO Tom Kenyon said. “Shooting and hunting are healthy activities that teach real skills, build confidence, get kids outside and make a practical contribution to improving Victoria’s (and Australia’s) environment.”

The disagreement is not really about whether the rules exist – they do. The disagreement is whether government should promote participation in activities that include firearms.

Regulation and promotion under one roof
The most serious issue is the relationship between promotion and regulation.

The Game Management Authority was created to regulate game hunting. Its work includes licensing, compliance, enforcement, education and advice.

If ORV is expected to both grow participation and regulate conduct, it will need to be clear-eyed about conflicts.

A body that promotes hunting must still be willing to enforce hunting laws. A body that supports access must still protect public safety, animal welfare and environmental values. A body that speaks for outdoor recreation must not become blind to poor behaviour from any user group.

Hunting should not be pushed to the margins by people who dislike it. It is a lawful activity, part of Victoria’s outdoor culture and a contributor to regional economies. Victorian Parliament material on the Outdoor Recreation Victoria Bill 2026 states game hunting contributed $356 million and supported 3138 jobs in 2019, while recreational fishing and boating contributed $5.82 billion and supported 56,000 jobs.

Why this matters beyond duck season
Victoria’s hunting debates often flare around duck season, but ORV is broader than that.

Deer hunting, hound hunting, game bird hunting, public-land access, enforcement, education, hunter safety and habitat issues could all sit inside the new structure.

That gives the new agency potential value if it works properly.

Hunters often deal with scattered information, unclear access, changing rules and public-land confusion. A better central hub for outdoor recreation could help licence holders, new entrants and land managers understand what is allowed, where it is allowed and what standards apply.

The Land Access Panel could also become important if it improves practical access, signage, road information, facilities and cooperation between user groups.

If ORV treats hunting as a legitimate outdoor activity while maintaining firm regulation, it could strengthen hunting’s place in Victoria and a case study for other states and territories.

“Anything ORV can do to encourage greater participation in hunting will be a good thing,” Mr Kenyon said.

What should hunters watch?
The first thing to watch is the bill’s final form. The Legislative Council passed the bill with amendments in June, and the Assembly was due to consider those changes.

The second is board and leadership appointments. ORV will need people who understand outdoor recreation, public land, compliance, fisheries, hunting, conservation and community confidence.

The third is how education is handled. Education on safety should be paramount and strict. Junior involvement in firearms must remain clearly tied to licensing, supervision and lawful pathways.

The fourth is whether hunting groups are treated as stakeholders or scenery. If ORV is meant to support outdoor recreation, groups like the SSAA and hunters should have a seat in the conversation.

A bigger test for hunting policy
ORV could be a chance to modernise how Victoria manages hunting and outdoor access.

The hunting community should judge it by results: clearer information, fair access, strong compliance, practical education and a regulator willing to treat lawful hunters as legitimate users of public land.

The debate around young shooters will draw the headlines. The deeper issue is whether Victoria can build an agency that supports outdoor recreation without weakening the standards that keep it safe, legal and publicly defensible.

That is the test ORV now has to pass.