{"id":"sr:conservation-forests-and-lands-wildlife-game-infringement-notices-regulations-2026","name":"Conservation, Forests and Lands (Wildlife (Game) Infringement Notices) Regulations 2026","slug":"conservation-forests-and-lands-wildlife-game-infringement-notices-regulations-2026","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"vic","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":181629,"registerId":"vic-sr:conservation-forests-and-lands-wildlife-game-infringement-notices-regulations-2026-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Conservation, Forests and Lands (Wildlife (Game) Infringement Notices) Regulations 2026","content":"Version No. 001\n\n**Conservation, Forests and Lands (Wildlife (Game) Infringement Notices) Regulations 2026**\n\n**S.R. No. 13/2026**\n\nVersion as at  \n25 February 2026\n\n**TABLE OF PROVISIONS**\n\n*Regulation Page*\n\n1 Objective 1\n\n2 Authorising provision 1\n\n3 Commencement 1\n\n4 Revocation 1\n\n5 Prescribed infringement offences 1\n\n6 Prescribed infringement penalties 2\n\nSchedule 1—Wildlife (Game) infringements 3\n\n═════════════\n\nEndnotes 7\n\n1 General information 7\n\n2 Table of Amendments 9\n\n3 Explanatory details 10\n\n**Version No.** **001**\n\n**Conservation, Forests and Lands (Wildlife (Game) Infringement Notices) Regulations 2026**\n\n**S.R. No. 13/2026**\n\nVersion as at  \n25 February 2026\n\n\t1 Objective\n\nThe objective of these Regulations is to prescribe—\n\n(a) the offences against a relevant law for which an infringement notice may be served; and\n\n(b) penalties for those infringement offences.\n\n\t2 Authorising provision\n\nThese Regulations are made under section 99 of the **Conservation, Forests and Lands Act 1987**.\n\n\t3 Commencement\n\nThese Regulations come into operation on 25 February 2026.\n\n\t4 Revocation\n\nThe Conservation, Forests and Lands (Wildlife (Game) Infringement Notices) Regulations 2023[[1]](#endnote-1) are **revoked**.\n\n\t5 Prescribed infringement offences\n\nFor the purposes of section 91(1) of the **Conservation, Forests and Lands Act 1987**, an offence specified in Column 2 of Schedule 1 is prescribed as an infringement offence.\n\n\t6 Prescribed infringement penalties\n\nFor the purposes of section 91(3) of the **Conservation, Forests and Lands Act 1987**, the prescribed penalty for an infringement offence is the penalty set out in the corresponding entry of Column 3 of Schedule 1 in respect of that infringement offence.\n\nSchedule 1—Wildlife (Game) infringements\n\nRegulations 5 and 6\n\nIn this Schedule—\n\n***the Act*** means the **Wildlife Act 1975**;\n\n***the Regulations*** means the Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2024[[2]](#endnote-2).\n\n| *Column 1*<br>*Item* | *Column 2*<br>*Infringement offence* | *Column 3*<br>*Infringement penalty* |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| 1 | An offence against section 22A(8) of the Act constituted by a contravention of regulation 21(1) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 2 | An offence against section 22A(8) of the Act constituted by a contravention of regulation 21(2) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 3 | An offence against section 22A(8) of the Act constituted by a contravention of regulation 25 of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 4 | An offence against section 44(3) of the Act | 2 penalty units |\n| 5 | An offence against section 58C(1) of the Act | 6 penalty units |\n| 6 | An offence against section 58D of the Act | 6 penalty units |\n| 7 | An offence against regulation 13 of the Regulations | 0⋅5 penalty units |\n| 8 | An offence against regulation 27 of the Regulations | 0⋅5 penalty units |\n| 9 | An offence against regulation 34(1) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 10 | An offence against regulation 36 of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 11 | An offence against regulation 37(1) of the Regulations | 1⋅5 penalty units |\n| 12 | An offence against regulation 37(2) of the Regulations | 1⋅5 penalty units |\n| 13 | An offence against regulation 37(3) of the Regulations | 1⋅5 penalty units |\n| 14 | An offence against regulation 40(1) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 15 | An offence against regulation 40(2) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 16 | An offence against regulation 40(3) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 17 | An offence against regulation 41(1) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 18 | An offence against regulation 42(1) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 19 | An offence against regulation 43(1) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 20 | An offence against regulation 44(1) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 21 | An offence against regulation 46(1) of the Regulations | 1⋅5 penalty units |\n| 22 | An offence against regulation 47(1) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 23 | An offence against regulation 47(2) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 24 | An offence against regulation 47(3) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 25 | An offence against regulation 48(1) of the Regulations | 1 penalty unit |\n| 26 | An offence against regulation 49(1) of the Regulations | 2⋅5 penalty units |\n| 27 | An offence against regulation 51(1) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 28 | An offence against regulation 52(1) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 29 | An offence against regulation 53(1) of the Regulations | 1 penalty unit |\n| 30 | An offence against regulation 54(1) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 31 | An offence against regulation 55(1) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 32 | An offence against regulation 56 of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 33 | An offence against regulation 57 of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 34 | An offence against regulation 58 of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 35 | An offence against regulation 59(1) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 36 | An offence against regulation 60(1) of the Regulations | 1 penalty unit |\n| 37 | An offence against regulation 64(1) of the Regulations | 1 penalty unit |\n| 38 | An offence against regulation 64(2) of the Regulations | 1 penalty unit |\n| 39 | An offence against regulation 65(1) of the Regulations | 1 penalty unit |\n| 40 | An offence against regulation 66(1) of the Regulations | 1 penalty unit |\n| 41 | An offence against regulation 67 of the Regulations | 1⋅5 penalty units |\n| 42 | An offence against regulation 68(1) of the Regulations | 1⋅5 penalty units |\n| 43 | An offence against regulation 69(3) of the Regulations | 1 penalty unit |\n| 44 | An offence against regulation 73 of the Regulations | 1⋅5 penalty units |\n| 45 | An offence against regulation 74 of the Regulations | 1 penalty unit |\n| 46 | An offence against regulation 75 of the Regulations | 1 penalty unit |\n| 47 | An offence against regulation 76(1) of the Regulations | 1 penalty unit |\n| 48 | An offence against regulation 79(1) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n| 49 | An offence against regulation 80(1) of the Regulations | 2 penalty units |\n\n\n═════════════\n\nEndnotes\n\n1 General information\n\nSee [www.legislation.vic.gov.au](http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au) for Victorian Bills, Acts and current Versions of legislation and up-to-date legislative information.\n\nThe Conservation, Forests and Lands (Wildlife (Game) Infringement Notices) Regulations 2026, S.R. No. 13/2026 were made on 24 February 2026 by the Governor in Council under section 99 of the **Conservation, Forests and Lands Act 1987**, No. 41/1987 and came into operation on 25 February 2026: regulation 3.\n\nThe Conservation, Forests and Lands (Wildlife (Game) Infringement Notices) Regulations 2026 will sunset 10 years after the day of making on 24 February 2036 (see section 5 of the **Subordinate Legislation Act 1994**).\n\nINTERPRETATION OF LEGISLATION ACT 1984 (ILA)\n\nStyle changes\n\nSection 54A of the ILA authorises the making of the style changes set out in Schedule 1 to that Act.\n\nReferences to ILA s. 39B\n\nSidenotes which cite ILA s. 39B refer to section 39B of the ILA which provides that where an undivided regulation, rule or clause of a Schedule is amended by the insertion of one or more subregulations, subrules or subclauses the original regulation, rule or clause becomes subregulation, subrule or subclause (1) and is amended by the insertion of the expression \"(1)\" at the beginning of the original regulation, rule or clause.\n\nInterpretation\n\nAs from 1 January 2001, amendments to section 36 of the ILA have the following effects:\n\n• Headings\n\nAll headings included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after  \n1 January 2001 form part of that Statutory Rule. Any heading inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Statutory Rule.  \nThis includes headings to Parts, Divisions or Subdivisions in a Schedule; Orders; Parts into which an Order is divided; clauses; regulations; rules; items; tables; columns; examples; diagrams; notes or forms.  \nSee section 36(1A)(2A)(2B).\n\n• Examples, diagrams or notes\n\nAll examples, diagrams or notes included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Statutory Rule. Any examples, diagrams or notes inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, form part of that Statutory Rule. See section 36(3A).\n\n• Punctuation\n\nAll punctuation included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after  \n1 January 2001 forms part of that Statutory Rule. Any punctuation inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Statutory Rule.  \nSee section 36(3B).\n\n• Provision numbers\n\nAll provision numbers included in a Statutory Rule form part of that Statutory Rule, whether inserted in the Statutory Rule before, on or after  \n1 January 2001. Provision numbers include regulation numbers, rule numbers, subregulation numbers, subrule numbers, paragraphs and subparagraphs. See section 36(3C).\n\n• Location of \"legislative items\"\n\nA \"legislative item\" is a penalty, an example or a note. As from 13 October 2004, a legislative item relating to a provision of a Statutory Rule is taken to be at the foot of that provision even if it is preceded or followed by another legislative item that relates to that provision. For example, if a penalty at the foot of a provision is followed by a note, both of these legislative items will be regarded as being at the foot of that provision. See section 36B.\n\n• Other material\n\nAny explanatory memorandum, table of provisions, endnotes, index and other material printed after the Endnotes does not form part of a Statutory Rule. See section 36(3)(3D)(3E).\n\n2 Table of Amendments\n\nThere are no amendments made to the Conservation, Forests and Lands (Wildlife (Game) Infringement Notices) Regulations 2026 by statutory rules, subordinate instruments and Acts.\n\n3 Explanatory details\n\n1. Reg. 4: S.R. No. 64/2023. [↑](#endnote-ref-1)\n\n2. Sch. 1 (def. of ***the Regulations***): S.R. No. 81/2024.\n\n  ——\n\n  **Penalty Units**\n\n  These Regulations provide for penalties by reference to penalty units within the meaning of section 110 of the **Sentencing Act 1991**. The amount of the penalty is to be calculated, in accordance with section 7 of the **Monetary Units Act 2004**, by multiplying the number of penalty units applicable by the value of a penalty unit.\n\n  The value of a penalty unit for the financial year commencing 1 July 2025 is $203.51. The amount of the calculated penalty may be rounded to the nearest dollar.\n\n  The value of a penalty unit for future financial years is to be fixed by the Treasurer under section 5 of the **Monetary Units Act 2004**. The value of a penalty unit for a financial year must be published in the Government Gazette and a Victorian newspaper before 1 June in the preceding financial year. [↑](#endnote-ref-2)","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Based on the available information, the regulation appears to remain focused on its original stated purpose: establishing an infringement notice (on-the-spot fine) scheme for game wildlife offences. There is no evidence of scope expansion beyond this administrative enforcement mechanism. However, the incomplete nature of the document limits confidence in this assessment."},"complexity_factors":["Infringement notice schemes involve cross-referencing with the parent Act (Wildlife Act 1975 and Conservation, Forests and Lands Act 1987), adding a layer of complexity","The regulation operates within a broader regulatory ecosystem requiring understanding of game hunting licensing frameworks","Penalty unit calculations may require cross-referencing with the Monetary Units Act 2004 to determine actual dollar amounts","The document provided is severely incomplete — only version history metadata is visible, preventing full analysis of the operative provisions"],"plain_english_summary":"This regulation creates an on-the-spot infringement notice (fine) system for offences involving game wildlife in Victoria, allowing authorised officers to issue fines instead of taking every matter to court. It mainly affects hunters, others who engage with game species, and enforcement officers.\n\nThe change speeds and simplifies enforcement and lets recipients pay or contest notices, but the provided document appears to be metadata only and lacks the detailed offence and penalty list."},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulations maintain their original narrow purpose of prescribing infringement offences and penalties for game hunting violations. The 2026 version simply updates the reference from the Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2012 to the 2024 version and revokes the 2023 regulations. The scope remains limited to administrative enforcement mechanisms for wildlife offences."},"complexity_factors":["Short instrument with only 6 substantive regulations plus a schedule","Minimal defined terms (only 2: 'the Act' and 'the Regulations')","Simple tabular structure for offences and penalties","No nested conditional logic or exceptions within the regulations themselves","Complexity is external: requires cross-referencing to the Wildlife Act 1975 and Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2024 to understand what conduct is actually prohibited","Penalty calculation requires reference to separate Acts (Sentencing Act 1991 and Monetary Units Act 2004)"],"plain_english_summary":"These regulations set out the fines for hunting and wildlife offences in Victoria. They work as a 'price list' for on-the-spot fines that rangers and authorised officers can issue to hunters who break the rules.\n\n**What this does:**\n- Lists 49 specific offences from the Wildlife Act 1975 and the Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2024 that can be dealt with by infringement notice (an on-the-spot fine) rather than going to court\n- Sets the fine amount for each offence, ranging from 0.5 to 6 penalty units (roughly $102 to $1,221 based on 2025 values)\n- Replaces the previous 2023 version of these regulations\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Hunters and game shooters in Victoria\n- Authorised officers and rangers who enforce wildlife laws\n- Anyone holding a Game Licence or hunting on public or private land\n\n**Why it matters:**\nInstead of facing criminal charges and court appearances for minor breaches, hunters can now pay a fixed penalty. This makes enforcement faster and gives hunters certainty about the cost of non-compliance. The offences cover things like hunting without a licence, failing to carry required equipment, hunting in closed seasons, and not tagging game properly.\n\n**Key offences covered include:**\n- Hunting without authority or outside permitted areas\n- Failing to carry or produce a Game Licence\n- Not using mandatory safety equipment (like fluorescent vests)\n- Breaching conditions of hunting permits\n- Illegal methods of taking game\n- Failing to tag or record harvested game animals"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument is a replacement/technical update that re-prescribes which game-related offences are eligible for infringement notices and fixes their penalty levels. It revokes the 2023 regulations and aligns infringement prescription with the Wildlife Act 1975 and the Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2024. It does not expand beyond the original administrative purpose (i.e. prescribing infringement offences and penalties) or add new regulatory powers; it adjusts which specific offences are handled by infringement notices and their monetary level."},"complexity_factors":["Short instrument (6 regulations) with a single Schedule","49 prescribed infringement items in Schedule 1","Cross-references to two external instruments: Wildlife Act 1975 and Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2024","Use of penalty units (requires reference to Monetary Units Act 2004 and Sentencing Act 1991 for dollar conversion)","Revocation of previous 2023 regulations (regulation 4) — requires comparing versions for material changes","Limited number of defined terms (only 'the Act' and 'the Regulations' in the Schedule)","Low conditional logic — few exceptions or nested provisions"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanically)\n\n- Replaces the 2023 infringement-notice regulations (regulation 4) and prescribes, by reference to the Wildlife Act 1975 and the Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2024, a list of specific game-related offences that may be dealt with by an infringement notice (regulation 5 and Schedule 1).\n- Sets the monetary penalty for each prescribed infringement as a number of penalty units (regulation 6 and Schedule 1). The monetary value of a penalty unit is fixed annually under the Monetary Units Act 2004 and examples are given in the Endnotes (for the 2025–26 financial year one penalty unit = $203.51; amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar).\n\nWho this affects\n\n- People who hunt, possess or otherwise deal with game species regulated under the Wildlife Act 1975 and the Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2024 — for example, licensed game hunters, game meat processors, vehicle-borne shooters and others engaged in game-related activities covered by the listed regulations and Act sections.\n- Enforcement agencies and authorised officers who decide whether to issue an infringement notice instead of pursuing court proceedings.\n\nWhy it matters (stated purpose and practical effect)\n\n- The stated objective (regulation 1) is administrative: to identify which game-related offences may be resolved by an on-the-spot or administrative infringement notice and to fix the corresponding penalty level in penalty units.\n- Practically, the instrument channels certain breaches away from criminal prosecution and toward civil fines. That changes the enforcement pathway: low-to-mid level breaches can be settled by payment rather than court action, reducing prosecutorial and judicial workload but creating a stream of monetary penalties collected administratively.\n\nHow it works in practice\n\n- The Schedule lists 49 distinct infringement entries (items 1–49). Each entry links a named offence (either a section of the Wildlife Act 1975 or a numbered regulation in the 2024 Wildlife (Game) Regulations) to a penalty expressed in penalty units (ranging in this instrument from 0.5 to 6 penalty units). Examples: a 0.5 penalty‑unit offence is about $102 at the 2025–26 rate; a 6 penalty‑unit offence is about $1,221.\n- An authorised officer may issue an infringement notice for one of the prescribed offences. The person who committed the infringement pays the fine (or elects the contest/remedy avenues available under the base Act and infringement-notice scheme).\n\nPolicy effects, incentives and trade-offs (tested against costs and implementation mechanics)\n\n- Incentives: Converting an offence to an infringement offence lowers the transaction cost of enforcement for regulators (quicker resolution, fewer court appearances). For alleged offenders it lowers the immediate procedural cost (no court attendance) but imposes a financial cost. The choice to offer an infringement notice creates an incentive for enforcement agencies to resolve many matters administratively rather than prosecute.\n- Deterrence and behaviour change: Small monetary penalties for technical breaches (items include fines as low as 0.5 penalty units) can deter casual non-compliance, but may be less effective to deter repeat or serious misconduct compared with prosecution and higher criminal penalties. The instrument leaves the choice of issuing an infringement notice to authorised officers, so deterrent effect depends on how officers use that discretion (see Schedule and regulation 5–6).\n- Administrative burden and compliance cost: Operators in the game sector must know a long list of cross-referenced provisions (49 items referencing multiple sections and regulations). The compliance cost is diffuse across many individuals; the enforcement and collection costs are borne by the administering agency and the Treasury (through revenue from fines).\n- Opportunity cost and substitution: Using infringement notices diverts administrative and prosecutorial resources away from court-based enforcement; it conserves court capacity but may substitute fines for criminal records in some cases. That substitution reduces the court’s workload but also reduces formal criminal adjudication, which may be intended to be proportionate to the gravity of the listed offences.\n- Implementation risks and discretion: The regime depends on accurate cross-referencing to the Wildlife Act 1975 and the Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2024. Mistakes or ambiguity in the cross-references could create uncertainty. Enforcement outcomes will vary with how agencies exercise discretion to issue notices.\n\nConcrete distributional points (who pays, who decides, what behaviour changes)\n\n- Who pays: the individual or business who commits the prescribed infringement pays the monetary penalty set in penalty units (Schedule 1, Column 3).\n- Who decides: authorised enforcement officers under the Conservation, Forests and Lands Act 1987 (acting under the infringement-notice provisions referenced in regulations 5 and 6) decide whether to issue an infringement notice or pursue other enforcement action.\n- Behaviour likely to change: more minor or technical breaches are likely to be resolved by payment; some operators may invest more in compliance to avoid repeated small fines; enforcement agencies will be able to resolve cases more quickly and with lower prosecution costs.\n\nKey cross-references and technical notes\n\n- The Regulations are made under section 99 of the Conservation, Forests and Lands Act 1987 (regulation 2). The substantive offences referenced are in the Wildlife Act 1975 and the Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2024 (see Schedule definition). The monetary amount of penalty units is set under the Monetary Units Act 2004 and Sentencing Act 1991 (endnotes)."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/conservation-forests-and-lands-wildlife-game-infringement-notices-regulations-2026","history":"/api/acts/conservation-forests-and-lands-wildlife-game-infringement-notices-regulations-2026/history","analysis":"/api/acts/conservation-forests-and-lands-wildlife-game-infringement-notices-regulations-2026/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/conservation-forests-and-lands-wildlife-game-infringement-notices-regulations-2026/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/conservation-forests-and-lands-wildlife-game-infringement-notices-regulations-2026/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/conservation-forests-and-lands-wildlife-game-infringement-notices-regulations-2026/documents"}}