Brumby shooting to proceed at Kosciuszko National Park, says NSW government
NSW government has announced plans to allow the culling method, a move that has long divided policymakers and park locals.
NSW government has announced it will go ahead with plans to allow aerial shooting of the Kosciuszko National Park brumby horse population, a move that has long divided both policymakers and park locals.
Environment Minister Penny Sharpe announced on Friday morning that following a period of consultation the government had adopted an amendment to the park’s horse management plan and would introduce aerial shooting imminently.
Ms Sharpe said permission to conduct aerial shooting – criticised by both animal conservationists and park locals – was needed to reach the legally required population target of 3000 by mid-2027.
“There is no agenda to eliminate brumbies from the park, there just isn’t,” Ms Sharpe said.
“But there was no other way to meet the 3000 target with existing methods.”
The lower end of estimates put the number of brumbies in the park at about 14,000, and Ms Sharpe said that ballooning figure threatened 32 species, as well as park management and vegetation.
“The reality is the numbers have exploded – they are beautiful creatures, it brings me no pleasure to announce a cull, but we have to do this,” she said.
Ms Sharpe noted that the culling would protect endangered species and, longer term, allow for less brumbies to be aerially shot, once the numbers were reduced and manageable.
Critics have long argued the counting method used by the government warped and over-inflated the horse numbers, although Ms Sharpe had “full confidence” in the method.
“The counting method used is the standard and world-best practice,” she said.
Carcass management post-shooting has been another concern and Ms Sharpe revealed “highly trained and accredited” shooters would undertake the culling task and bodies – when not in waterways or high-traffic areas – would remain “in situ”.
The consultation period in the lead-up to the decision saw 11,000 submissions to the government and, Ms Sharpe said, of those related to aerial shooting, about 80 per cent were in favour of the practice.
However, Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst slammed the move, criticising how the decision was made before the finalisation of a parliamentary inquiry into the proposals and revealing the party was considering whether it could work with Labor moving forward.
“Given these circumstances, it is hard to see how the Animal Justice Party can continue to work with or support the government,” Ms Hurst, calling the practice “ruthless and inhumane”.
“When the last government-sanctioned aerial shooting of brumbies took place at Guy Fawkes horses were found days later, still alive with bullet wounds.
“For the Environment Minister to make this announcement while the inquiry is still running shows utter disrespect to the entire parliamentary process, as well as to the communities and advocates who are begging for this not to happen and haven’t had a chance to have their say as expert witnesses yet.”
Ms Hurst said the move showed the Minns government did not have animal welfare “on its list of priorities”.
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