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NSW government makes historic commitment to essential reform of invasive species management

The Invasive Species Council has welcomed the NSW government’s response to the Natural Resource Commission’s Review of Invasive Species Management and the Biosecurity Commissioner’s review of biosecurity enforcement and governance.

The commitments mark a significant structural shift, including commitments to stronger governance, enforcement and long-term planning to tackle escalating invasive species threats across the state. This includes commitments to:

  • Develop of a new NSW Invasive Species Plan which is strategic and outcomes driven, rather than the current ad hoc, action focussed approach
  • Establish a new State Biosecurity Committee to ensure whole-of-government coordination and focus
  • Develop a funding proposal for consideration by government in 2026, informed by the NRC recommendation for a new 5 year invasive species investment program and funding for regional coordinators
  • Focus on improving compliance and enforcement tools to ensure better landscape scale outcomes.

‘Premier Minns came into government promising a root and branch review of invasive species management in NSW and today we are seeing the impact of this important commitment,’ Invasive Species Council CEO Jack Gough said. 

‘The Natural Resources Commission delivered a clear roadmap for reform of a system that is currently not fit for purpose and in response the NSW Government have committed to a significant structural shift to a more strategic, responsive and outcomes focussed approach.

‘The evidence of the systemic failures is undeniable: without major changes, NSW faces an escalating invasive species crisis that will send native wildlife extinct, degrade landscapes and could cost the economy up to $29.7 billion a year by 2030.

‘In particular, we welcome the commitments to increased, long-term resourcing and investment, better enforcement powers, and stronger coordination.

‘Central to the effective implementation of these reforms will be deep collaboration between the environment and agriculture departments and the Treasury. 

‘It is great to see the NSW government has already made changes with multi-year funding for weeds. The next important step is to give pest animal management the same long-term funding certainty.

‘It’s clear from the government’s response that many of the reforms depend on resources in next year’s budget and we look forward to working with Minister Moriarty to ensure this ambitious plan is backed with the resources it needs.’

Media Inquiries: (02) 8006 5004

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    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]