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Possums are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975. Possums must not be harmed in any way or kept without approval from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP). It is the property owners responsibility to find a humane management or relocation solution that adheres to the Wildlife Act.

It is illegal to harass or interfere with possums. However, Common Brushtail Possums living within buildings may be controlled. The following conditions, limitations and restrictions apply in respect of trapping Common Brushtail Possums living within buildings:

  • Common Brushtail Possums may only be trapped by home-owners or occupiers and members of their families, building managers or their staff, or DELWP licensed Wildlife Controllers.
  • They may only be trapped in a cage trap designed not to cause injury.
  • Trapped possums must be released on the property on which they are captured, up to a maximum of 50 metres from the capture site after sunset on the day of capture.
  • Where it is not reasonably possible to release the possum on your property, possums must be humanely destroyed by a registered veterinary practitioner, at the trapper's expense, within 24 hours of capture.
  • Trapped possums must be protected from rain or wind, direct sun and domestic animals at all times.

Breaching any of these regulations carries a penalty of up to $5,000.

For more information on possums, please see the DELWP website.

Possum repellents

A Deakin University study tested 14 home-made and commercial repellents. These repellents used either odour, taste or a combination of both senses to make the possum leave the area.  The study found that when the possums were hungry, none of the six taste repellents tested stopped possums eating food treated with the compounds, while 5 out of 10 odour repellents appeared to have some effect. 

For more information about the possum repellents trialled please see the DELWP website.