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New household fruit netting regulation

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From 1 September 2021, new fruit netting requirements will be introduced in Victoria to protect wildlife such as birds and possums.

Netting will be required to have a mesh size of 5mm x 5mm or smaller, at full stretch in Victoria.

The State Government is introducing this new regulation under Victoria’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Regulations 2019, to protect local wildlife.

Netting is a common way to protect fruits from hungry wildlife. However, some netting types, for example, netting with large mesh sizes, can entangle animals to cause harm, or even death.

The mesh size requirement of 5mm x 5mm or less, will reduce the risk of entanglement to wildlife.

The fine for using fruit netting that does not meet this specification will be $3303, and $660 for advertising or offering it for sale for household fruiting plants.

Discarded old netting can still be an entanglement risk for wildlife. When disposing of old netting, it is recommended that it is placed into a strong biodegradable bag before putting into landfill.

Further information about netting requirements is available on the State Government website.

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