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More than 11,000 call on NSW Parliament to repeal Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act

A coalition of community members, experts and political representatives gathered at NSW Parliament House today to deliver a petition of more than 11,000 signatures calling for the repeal of the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018. Under Parliament rules the size of this petition immediately triggers a debate in the legislative assembly. 

The community petition was formally handed over to the Independent Member for Wagga Wagga, Dr Joe McGirr.

It reflects growing concern about the destruction caused by feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park – one of Australia’s most fragile alpine landscapes.

The Act, introduced by former Deputy Premier John Barilaro, has led to a minimum population of 3000 feral horses in the park. 

The petition – signed by over 11,000 people across 50 locations in NSW with the help of 74 volunteers – will now be tabled by Dr McGirr for debate in NSW Parliament.

Reclaim Kosci petition coordinator and volunteer Linda Groom said:

‘This is a major milestone. I started as a bushwalker who could see the damage being done by feral horses and wanted to do something about it, so I organised a protest in 2018 and then became involved with the Invasive Species Council and organised this petition. 

‘The Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018 is a bad piece of legislation because it protects a feral animal in one of our most glorious national parks. 

‘It is pleasing to see representatives from all sides of politics demonstrating cross-party support in repealing the Act. 

‘What has really struck me while gathering signatures is how much public sentiment has shifted. More people now understand that removing feral horses, including lethal control, is necessary to protect the park’s precious wildlife and mountain streams.’

Snowy River guide, Reclaim Kosci founder and Invasive Species Council Indigenous Ambassador Richard Swain said:

‘Feral horses trample our fragile landscapes, pollute our streams and damage sacred Country.

‘Finally, the health of the soil, water and our native species in the Snowy Mountains is healing but we now need to fix the ridiculous law that still protects a feral animal over our native plants and animals.

‘For the sake of the high Country it is past time that we put to bed the senseless arguments and accept the evidence that removing feral horses is the only way of protecting Country from this destruction.

‘There should be no laws on the books that protect a feral animal over our native animals. The next step must be for Parliament to repeal this regrettable law once and for all.’

The Independent Member for Wagga Wagga, Dr Joe McGirr, said:

‘I am pleased to accept this petition as an important step towards further protecting the fragile alpine environments from feral horses.

‘With more than 10,000 signatures, the petition will trigger a debate in parliament which will be an important opportunity for all MPs to debate the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act – a counter-productive law that prioritises an introduced species over native flora and fauna in one of our most important national parks.

‘We need a mature, scientifically informed discussion about the best ways to protect the environment from all feral species and I congratulate the petitioners for raising their voices in support of better management systems in the Kosciuszko National Park.’

Media inquiries: (02) 8006 5004

Background:

  • The latest petition total is 11,331

Full petition text: 

To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of NSW. This petition of residents of NSW and visitors to Kosciuszko National Park brings to the attention of the House:

1. The sensitive alpine ecosystems of Kosciuszko National Park, including the headwaters of the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Snowy Rivers, are being trashed, trampled and polluted by thousands of feral horses.

2. The Threatened Species Scientific Committee has warned that feral horses “may be the crucial factor that causes final extinction” for 12 native animals, including the iconic Corroboree Frog.

3. A law in NSW, the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act, currently protects feral horses over native wildlife in Kosciuszko National Park.

The undersigned petitioners therefore ask the Legislative Assembly to:

1. Repeal the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018.

2. Ensure that feral animals are never again prioritised over native wildlife in a national park.

Related Content

24 fold increase in annual feral horse removals gives Kosciuszko’s native animals a chance
NSW Supreme Court dismisses legal challenge to feral horse control
Counting horses in Kosciuszko: a critique of the ‘independent’ survey

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Your support to protect critically endangered and vulnerable species from extinction is vital. Together, we can ensure governments prioritise action on invasive species and protect our wildlife and iconic places.

The Invasive Species Council was formed in 2002 to seek stronger laws, policies and programs to protect nature from harmful pests, weeds and diseases.

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About Us

Dear Project Team,

[YOUR PERSONALISED MESSAGE WILL APPEAR HERE.] 

I support the amendment to the Kosciuszko National Park Wild Horse Heritage Management Plan to allow our incredible National Parks staff to use aerial shooting as one method to rapidly reduce feral horse numbers. I want to see feral horse numbers urgently reduced in order to save the national park and our native wildlife that live there.

The current approach is not solving the problem. Feral horse numbers have rapidly increased in Kosciuszko National Park to around 18,000, a 30% jump in just the past 2 years. With the population so high, thousands of feral horses need to be removed annually to reduce numbers and stop our National Park becoming a horse paddock. Aerial shooting, undertaken humanely and safely by professionals using standard protocols, is the only way this can happen.

The government’s own management plan for feral horses states that ‘if undertaken in accordance with best practice, aerial shooting can have the lowest negative animal welfare impacts of all lethal control methods’.

This humane and effective practice is already used across Australia to manage hundreds of thousands of feral animals like horses, deer, pigs, and goats.

Trapping and rehoming of feral horses has been used in Kosciuszko National Park for well over a decade but has consistently failed to reduce the population, has delayed meaningful action and is expensive. There are too many feral horses in the Alps and not enough demand for rehoming for it to be relied upon for the reduction of the population.

Fertility control as a management tool is only effective for a small, geographically isolated, and accessible population of feral horses where the management outcome sought is to maintain the population at its current size. It is not a viable option to reduce the large and growing feral horse population in the vast and rugged terrain of Kosciuszko National Park.

Feral horses are trashing and trampling our sensitive alpine ecosystems and streams, causing the decline and extinction of native animals. The federal government’s Threatened Species Scientific Committee has stated that feral horses ‘may be the crucial factor that causes final extinction’ for 12 alpine species.

I recognise the sad reality that urgent and humane measures are necessary to urgently remove the horses or they will destroy the Snowies and the native wildlife that call the mountains home. I support a healthy national park where native species like the Corroboree Frog and Mountain Pygmy Possum can thrive.

Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Your email address]
[Your postcode]


Dear Project Team,

[YOUR PERSONALISED MESSAGE WILL APPEAR HERE.] 

I support the amendment to the Kosciuszko National Park Wild Horse Heritage Management Plan to allow our incredible National Parks staff to use aerial shooting as one method to rapidly reduce feral horse numbers. I want to see feral horse numbers urgently reduced in order to save the national park and our native wildlife that live there.

The current approach is not solving the problem. Feral horse numbers have rapidly increased in Kosciuszko National Park to around 18,000, a 30% jump in just the past 2 years. With the population so high, thousands of feral horses need to be removed annually to reduce numbers and stop our National Park becoming a horse paddock. Aerial shooting, undertaken humanely and safely by professionals using standard protocols, is the only way this can happen.

The government’s own management plan for feral horses states that ‘if undertaken in accordance with best practice, aerial shooting can have the lowest negative animal welfare impacts of all lethal control methods’.

This humane and effective practice is already used across Australia to manage hundreds of thousands of feral animals like horses, deer, pigs, and goats.

Trapping and rehoming of feral horses has been used in Kosciuszko National Park for well over a decade but has consistently failed to reduce the population, has delayed meaningful action and is expensive. There are too many feral horses in the Alps and not enough demand for rehoming for it to be relied upon for the reduction of the population.

Fertility control as a management tool is only effective for a small, geographically isolated, and accessible population of feral horses where the management outcome sought is to maintain the population at its current size. It is not a viable option to reduce the large and growing feral horse population in the vast and rugged terrain of Kosciuszko National Park.

Feral horses are trashing and trampling our sensitive alpine ecosystems and streams, causing the decline and extinction of native animals. The federal government’s Threatened Species Scientific Committee has stated that feral horses ‘may be the crucial factor that causes final extinction’ for 12 alpine species.

I recognise the sad reality that urgent and humane measures are necessary to urgently remove the horses or they will destroy the Snowies and the native wildlife that call the mountains home. I support a healthy national park where native species like the Corroboree Frog and Mountain Pygmy Possum can thrive.

Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Your email address]
[Your postcode]