The Invasive Species Council welcomes a major step forward to protect Barrington Tops National Park and the surrounding World Heritage Gondwana Rainforests, as crucial feral horse control efforts have finally been undertaken by the NSW National Parks Service.
The Council understands that there were about 500 feral horses in the area and the population has been reduced by at least 50% in a recent aerial cull. Feral horse populations grow by about 18% per year, meaning the 500 feral horses could grow to over 2,500 over the next decade without control measures.
Invasive Species Council Advocacy Director Jack Gough said: ‘After years of inaction on a rapidly growing feral horse problem, this is great news for our native wildlife in the Barrington Tops and the surrounding Gondwana Rainforest World Heritage areas.
‘With the recent aerial cull, Barrington Tops is finally being freed from the relentless damage caused by a growing population of feral horses.
‘The strong cross-party support from Labor, Liberals, Greens and independents for effective control, including through aerial shooting, reflects the strong public support for action to protect our wildlife and streams from being trashed, trampled and polluted by feral horses.
‘For the first time in two decades, effective control of feral horses across NSW is back on the table. It’s fantastic to see real progress being made on the ground in Barrington Tops, as it is in Kosciuszko National Park.
‘We have full confidence that national park staff are undertaking these important operations professionally, safely and humanely, as has been confirmed by numerous independent reviews, including by the RSPCA and vets.
‘No one likes to see animals killed, but the sad reality is that we have a choice to make between urgently reducing the numbers of feral horses or accepting the destruction of sensitive environments and extinction of native animals.’
Invasive Species Council Senior Policy Analyst, Dr Carol Booth, who recently travelled to the area, said: ‘Barrington Tops is home to at least 50 rare and threatened species, but besieged by invasive species including feral horses, pigs and English broom.
‘On a recent trip to the park, it was devastating to see 86 piles of horse dung scattered along the 3 kilometre Polblue Swamp trail, an area with several threatened plants and animals.
‘Feral horses were grazing in the swamp, habitat for endangered mastacomys, while thick patches of English broom choked the higher ground. Sadly English broom has taken over at least 10,000 hectares of the park, providing cover for feral pigs.
‘It’s encouraging to hear that progress is being made to restore this precious park by removing some of the most damaging feral animals.
‘The plants and animals in these areas did not evolve with heavy, hard-hoofed feral horses. They are not native and cause enormous damage to sensitive habitats, degrading and polluting streams and driving native species towards extinction.’
President of Gloucester Environment Group John Watts said: ‘On recent bushwalks that the Gloucester Environment group has conducted in the Barrington Tops National Park, the degradation caused by feral horses, pigs and weeds has been obvious.
‘We welcome the NSW government finally taking steps to eradicate some of these invasive species which have no place in a national park.
‘I’d also hope that greater steps are taken to deal with the significant problem of the weed scotch broom in the park.’
Media inquiries: (02) 8006 5004
Images of feral horse damage in the Barrington Tops to accompany this story here.
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