At least in many place it isn’t illegal for pests–in Virginia, my understanding is that it is even legal for farmers to spotlight deer who are in their crops.
And in terms of scoping an AK, my understanding is that it is pretty much pointless for magnification but for ranges out to 300-400 yards a red dot scope does make a difference for accuracy–good enough for minute of bad guy accuracy at least.
Update on the scope mount. The dust cover scope mount for the AK is nice, damn cheap and sturdy. If your looking to mount a scope on an AK, go with the dust cover mount.
They are a pest. A large, vicious, eat-your-crops pest.
Scoping an AK is usually kind of silly - but the AK design isn’t inherently horribly accurate, it’s just that often the manufacture is very crude. Well made weapons, such as the Bulgarian exports, can be expected to shoot at 2 MOA or better, which is very reasonable for a military weapon. If you have poor eyesight, and just plan to punch paper at the range from a bench, I suppose it could increase your enjoyment.
I keep meaning to get a collimator site and mount it on the siderail… I find those types of sites very practical for an AK type weapon.
While I have never used one, I have to disagree with this. It’s cheap, and easy, and if you’re looking for very rough accuracy, it can work. But it’s not stable - you can slide dust covers around a bit just by pushing on them. There’s no way it can reliably hold a steady zero, unless they somehow changed the design of it. It might improve your accuracy if your ability to use iron sights sucks, but it wouldn’t be consistent for target shooting.
The scope dust cover has two hex screws in the back to exert upward pressure and hold it in place. I’m taking it to the range this weekend to see how accurate it is. I’ve put a lot of pressure on the cover and it has not moved to any noticeable degree but I’ll check it out with about 100 rounds this weekend. If it sucks, I’ll pull it off and install the old dust cover.
Unless I’m planning on sniping soldiers at hundreds of yards like the chick in Full Metal Jacket, I’m not all that concerned about accuracy. If I need long range accuracy or I’m hunting large game, I have an LSA-65 in 30-06 with a nice scope(idiot traded it to me for a pool cue). Hell, I’m not even aiming for mini-14 accuracy(which isn’t great). It’s for punching holes in paper.
Silenus hit the nail on the head. Your average Kangaroo is 3-6ft high and eats quite a surprising amount of crops. They also knock down fences, scare cattle, and jump in front of people’s cars at night.
They’re also at plague levels- there are more Kangaroos in Australia than there are people, last I heard.
The Japanese seem to think they make good eating, too…
Rabbits and feral cats are also pests IIRC. For a wilderness that makes such mince meat out of us puny humans, the Australian Outback seemed to surrender pretty quickly to small European animals 
Doper hunting trip Down Under, anyone?
Count me in. My rifles have been starved for attention lately. I wonder what a 7.65 round out of an Argentinian Mauser would do to a roo?
It would make quite a mess, but good luck finding 7.65mm Argentine Mauser ammo here.
The main rifle centrefire rifle calibres in Australia are:
.22/250
.223
.243
.270
6.5x55 Swedish Mauser
8x57 Mauser
.303 British
.30-06
.308
7mm Remington Magnum
.300 Winchester
There are plenty of other calibres, but those are the ones that you’re pretty much guaranteed to be able to get at any gunshop you walk into.
I have rifles chambered for 6 of those cartridges, so I’m still in. I’ll just bring the Swedish Mauser instead of the one from Argentina. 
I’m out of luck. I only have one of those cartridges covered, but I doubt they’d let me hunt with an AR-15 in Oz.
I’ll lend you one. Would you like one of the 8mm, or maybe the one rechambered for .308?
All self-loading longarms are, for all intents and purposes, illegal, unfortunately.
Would there be any interest in an “Ask The Australian Gun Owner” thread at al, I wonder?
I take it the folding-stock AK is out of the question, then? 
'Fraid so…