Collinsville State High School’s Bacon Busters pig hunting competition succeeds with council support

Animal activists have hit out at the annual Bacon Busters event that cleared more than five tonnes of feral pigs from rural properties – and happens to be a school fundraiser.

Cr Michelle Wright presents Noah Brand with his prize for taking out ‘open best coloured pig’ at the 2021 Bacon Busters competition. Picture: Facebook

It is the rural school’s biggest annual fundraising event that found itself in the crosshairs this year, with animal rights activists launching a campaign to shut down the beloved pig hunting competition.

The seventh annual Bacon Busters wild pig hunting competition was the biggest yet, with more than 200 entrants eradicating more than five tonnes of the pest animals from the Collinsville area over a three-day period – a result Whitsunday Regional Council praised at a recent public meeting.

It is also Collinsville State High School’s biggest annual fundraiser.

But not everyone was happy to see the event return for the first time since 2019, with more than 3000 people signing an online petition calling on Education Minister Grace Grace to stop it on animal welfare grounds and concerns about exposing children to violence.

“The killing of sentient animals is unmistakably a violent activity,” the petition preamble reads.

“And the fact that students are encouraged by way of prizes on offer to participate in the violence makes this fundraiser all the more repugnant and unsuitable.”

Whitsunday Regional Council donated $5000 to the 2021 competition, and Division 4 Cr Michelle Wright attended the event to personally congratulate prizewinners.

Deputy Mayor Cr Mike Brunker defended the P & C organisers after activists reportedly “bombarded” the school’s Facebook page calling the event a “disgrace” and threatening to turn up to protest.

“Cr Wright and I spoke to the principal up there to say if they need any help with any of that, any advocacy or lobbying … come and get us because it is such a wonderful event,” Cr Brunker said.

“They [wild pigs] dig up turtle eggs, they dig up billabongs and dams. The environmental damage they cause … to take five tonnes out of that particular area, it’s just amazing.”

An online petition called on the state government to stop the 2021 event. Picture: Supplied

Cr Al Grundy said wild pig reduction in the Whitsundays “should be explored further” as part of the region’s response to climate change.

“It’s becoming evident that the number of pigs that are being reduced in our area is actually having a great impact on carbon reduction … because of the methane,” Cr Grundy said.

The P & C has raised more than $100,000 in its seven years running the Bacon Busters event, with proceeds going back into the school and helping charities such as Rural Aid and Aussie Farmers and this year, RACQ CQ Rescue.

The petition against it, sponsored by Animal Liberation Queensland, fell well short of its 6400 signature target.