Opposition to NSW kangaroo cull grows

Former Test cricketer Jason Gillespie says he is shocked by evidence to a NSW parliamentary inquiry which has raised questions about the state's kangaroo harvest.

A report on the health and wellbeing of kangaroos and other macropods, tabled in the Upper House on Friday, casts doubt on the accuracy of kangaroo population estimates used to set cull quotas.

Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann said the findings had convinced her that culling kangaroos is "unnecessary, unsustainable and cruel".

Echoing the concerns, Mr Gillespie labelled the killing of wildlife depicted on the coat of arms "a national disgrace".

"The Kangaroo is a native species, it belongs to our land," the 71-Test veteran told AAP.

"How can we continue to allow its commercial killing?

"It's time to stand up and show the world Australians care about the protection of the kangaroo."

The NSW inquiry heard of inadequacies in the monitoring of kangaroo populations and oversight and scrutiny of non-commercial licences granted to landowners to shoot them.

Ms Faehrmann is urging state Environment Minister Matt Kean to consider the evidence before signing off on a new five-year Commercial Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan before the end of the year.

The commercial killing of kangaroos is also in the spotlight ahead of World Kangaroo Day on October 24th.

The initiative was founded by documentary filmmaker and Kangaroos Alive executive director Mick McIntyre.

"The commercial killing of kangaroos is happening out of sight and out of mind when it comes to public awareness,'' Mr McIntyre told AAP.

"As a result, kangaroo killing has been allowed to occur without scrutiny or the kind of regulation that covers the commercial slaughter of all other animals for meat."

Australia's record when it comes to protecting native species has been criticised as lamentable.

It has the world's highest rate of mammal extinctions and some 400 native animals listed as threatened.

"Many Australians are appalled by Japan's slaughter of whales and dolphins or Canada's killing of fur seals but what we are doing to our kangaroos is far worse than that," Mr McIntyre said.

"Contrary to what many may think, kangaroo numbers are rapidly declining.

"It's hard to criticise farmers for trying to protect their land, it's like someone criticising the Anzacs, but the reality is the way kangaroos are being slaughtered for their meat and skin is horrific."

Kangaroo body parts are sold across Europe and the US for pet food, sausages and soccer boots, yet overseas there is already push back against the slaughter.

The US proposed a ban on the sale of kangaroo products earlier this year.