Protecting fruit trees and wildlife

Many wildlife, including birds, fruit bats (flying foxes) and possums are attracted by fruit on backyard trees.

Tree netting is one option to protect your fruit from wildlife, however animals can be injured or killed if they become trapped in netting.

Under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986, a person may be committing an offence if something they do results in unreasonable pain or suffering caused to an animal.

You can minimise the risk of animals being caught by using wildlife safe netting. To test this, try to poke your finger through the netting holes. If you can, the mesh is too large and the netting is not safe for wildlife.

Choose netting that has a small mesh size and is white, because animals are more likely to see and avoid light-coloured netting This fact sheet provides guidance on safe ways to use netting, to protect both fruit trees and wildlife.

• Safe netting of fruit trees fact sheet [PDF File - 498.8 KB]
• Safe netting of fruit trees fact sheet [MS Word Document - 5.2 MB]

Also available in Vietnamese and simplified Chinese.

• Safe netting of fruit trees fact sheet - Chinese simplified [PDF File - 500.1 KB]
• Safe netting of fruit trees fact sheet - Chinese simplified [MS Word Document - 5.2 MB]
• Safe netting of fruit trees fact sheet - Vietnamese [PDF File - 683.6 KB]
• Safe netting of fruit trees fact sheet - Vietnamese [MS Word Document - 4.0 MB]