Kangaroo population monitoring

We monitor kangaroo numbers across New South Wales so that we can establish appropriate quotas for harvesting to maintain ecologically sustainable populations of kangaroos.

Reliable population estimates are fundamental to ensuring the sustainability of the commercial harvest and are used to set the annual harvest quotas. The NSW Government has been researching and monitoring kangaroos under the NSW Kangaroo Management Program since the 1970s. Over this period improvements have been made to the design of surveys to estimate kangaroo population size, based on the best available science.

The 2025 Quota Report – NSW Commercial Kangaroo Management Program details the current survey methods for estimating kangaroo population size across the Northern and Central Tablelands, South East and Western New South Wales.

In April 2023, the Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM) was contracted to review the current kangaroo survey design and analysis methods and advise on areas for improvement. Read the Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM) Review of survey methods.

Annual harvest quotas established through population monitoring are allocated across 15 kangaroo management zones.

Map displaying labeled zones with delineated boundaries in a regional area, including names like ‘Thioubourou Zone 1,’ ‘Bourke Zone 2,’ and ‘Central Tilt Zone 18,’ with some areas shaded in various colours..

Kangaroo management map showing all zones.

Population reports

Tablelands

The NSW Tablelands is divided into 3 broad regions for monitoring populations. These are the Northern Tablelands, Central Tablelands and South East New South Wales. Each of these regions are surveyed triennially. The Tablelands region consists of 6 kangaroo management zones within which commercial harvesting is administered. Results of Tablelands population surveys are published below.

Northern Tablelands

(Armidale, Glen Innes, Upper Hunter)

Central Tablelands

(Central Tablelands North, Central Tablelands South)

South East New South Wales

(South East New South Wales)

Western Plains

Kangaroo populations on the Western Plains are surveyed annually. These surveys cover 9 kangaroo management zones. Results are used to determine population estimates and administer quota. The Griffith zone was divided into Griffith North and Griffith South in 2019. Results of Western Plains populations surveys are published below. Red and grey kangaroo population estimates by zone for 2010–20. These estimates only apply to the Western Plains.

Red kangaroos – Western Plains – estimates

Year	Tibooburra	Broken Hill	Lower Darling	Cobar	Bourke	Narrabri	Coonabarabran	Griffith	Griffith North	Griffith South	Total
2024	577,642	1,454,248	668,560	233,301	528,688	588,471	150,952	–	381,298	434,122	5,017,282
2023	374,773	741,462	425,054	106,443	247,591	423,642	303,529	–	39,344	254,015	2,915,853
2022	344,350	1,746,169	667,100	183,195	214,369	345,322	197,356	–	199,456	331,894	4,229,211
2021	336,735	1,281,119	750,367	180,501	164,351	310,030	226,411	–	284,023	113,125	3,646,662
2020	200,465	1,197,474	583,802	102,480	117,975	190,468	152,052	–	126,160	253,492	2,924,368
2019	79,346	1,124,115	691,119	36,058	497,085	346,451	500,137	–	159,545	106,788	3,540,644
2018	344,619	1,133,523	307,619	44,733	244,687	353,348	218,312	284,853	–	–	2,931,694
2017	1,135,531	823,210	289,385	229,495	461,968	785,211	588,404	819,450	–	–	5,132,654
2016	1,567,598	1,206,597	619,113	437,129	730,140	780,834	421,498	601,325	–	–	6,364,234
2015	1,061,784	2,168,733	387,272	357,287	504,671	315,429	505,429	589,282	–	–	5,889,886
2014	1,256,418	2,192,347	289,106	298,459	439,559	406,847	590,194	950,341	–	–	6,423,271
2013	903,279	1,219,455	423,518	193,738	460,225	369,861	373,924	536,580	–	–	4,480,580
2012	937,643	1,138,627	295,180	252,750	429,000	371,257	357,256	366,603	–	–	4,148,316
2011	621,124	1,079,052	186,473	210,921	444,932	530,367	343,239	556,415	–	–	3,972,522
2010	636,037	855,368	193,930	148,176	251,196	433,365	250,624	245,208	–	–	3,013,908

Grey kangaroos – Western Plains – estimates

Year	Tibooburra	Broken Hill	Lower Darling	Cobar	Bourke	Narrabri	Coonabarabran	Griffith	Griffith North	Griffith South	Total
2024	32,323	256,294	533,133	160,193	113,375	458,109	952,744	–	904,939	836,793	4,247,903
2023	171,055	157,675	209,777	32,321	48,158	250,851	611,307	–	287,274	403,451	2,171,869
2022	16,510	211,832	340,884	40,278	30,385	289,798	1,042,877	–	941,071	535,660	3,449,295
2021	30,600	184,257	281,919	68,223	36,462	311,846	1,035,233	–	682,365	511,201	3,142,106
2020	6,859	281,410	314,639	44,208	41,501	745,775	891,090	–	421,161	371,796	3,118,439
2019	48,502	326,644	378,718	7,317	51,734	765,632	1,536,291	–	1,029,202	660,066	4,804,106
2018	184,002	395,360	281,035	81,391	183,950	728,648	1,274,243	919,282	–	–	3,981,911
2017	176,058	438,131	212,474	184,069	221,401	445,768	915,211	1,262,635	–	–	3,855,747
2016	451,594	672,187	566,970	405,079	473,265	1,434,755	1,089,374	1,241,399	–	–	6,334,623
2015	234,927	564,083	360,959	492,207	474,326	813,425	1,836,656	1,476,232	–	–	6,252,816
2014	44,669	444,547	397,584	546,338	471,812	1,321,410	2,417,012	1,376,362	–	–	7,019,734
2013	163,392	586,534	486,859	660,596	541,622	1,874,886	2,071,115	1,780,269	–	–	8,165,273
2012	73,882	221,803	232,187	311,522	446,909	1,246,675	1,457,381	700,388	–	–	4,690,747
2011	51,214	179,320	98,973	176,060	128,018	1,229,345	1,089,829	541,306	–	–	3,494,063
2010	37,780	241,831	231,585	256,097	140,721	752,770	935,327	562,930	–	–	3,159,044

Kangaroo Management Program Team

Phone: 1300 173 376

Email: [email protected]

Updated 14 October 2025