John Barilaro pushes for a kinder brumby solution

NATIONALS leader John Barilaro wants the Government to explore alternatives to killing brumbies in Kosciuszko National Park while urging for a heritage-listing.

NSW Nationals Leader and Deputy Premier John Barilaro. Picture Kym Smith

NATIONALS leader John Barilaro wants the NSW government to explore alternatives to killing brumbies in Kosciuszko National Park and is urging a heritage listing.

The Monaro MP, whose electorate represents some of the most vocal opponents to the proposed brumby cull, has also questioned scientific estimates of horse numbers in the park.

The December deadline has passed for the government to release its final plan for the management of the brumbies, which recommends a mix of methods to reduce horse numbers from ground-shooting and sterilisation.

Two black brumbies in Kosciuszko National Park.

It argues the estimated 6000 horses in the park need to be reduced to around 600 to protect the park’s unique conservation values.

However, Mr Barilaro questioned the estimate, saying local people believed numbers were much lower.

Mr Barilaro said he believed the government should ­explore initiatives such as the Stockwhip program, where prisoners trained brumbies as part of their rehabilitation.

Since visiting the Wild Horse Inmate Program (WHIP) operating in Colorado, former National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) regional manager Ross McKinney has been campaigning to set up a similar ­operation in southern NSW.

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Mr Barilaro said the government should also explore a sanctuary similar to that run in the US, as published in The Sunday Telegraph last week.

“What people don’t want to see is horse carcasses on the floor,” he said.

“If there are too many, let’s talk about decreasing numbers but let’s find a sustainable number — culling them from 6000 to 600 is basically exterminating the lot of them.”