The NSW Government is ramping up efforts to tackle rising feral pig populations across the state, providing an $8 million boost to help fund a new coordinated control program.
The 1-year program will be delivered by the Department of Regional NSW through Local Land Services, implementing the latest technologies and control methods to reduce feral pig populations. The program will include:
- landscape scale aerial shooting and ground control activities
- building landholder capacity and capability to control feral pigs through training and extension
- establishing a NSW State Feral Pig Coordinator to oversee the delivery of control activities and landholder support.
The 1-year program will bring the NSW Government spend on control of feral pig populations to $13 million in the 2023-24 financial year.
Consecutive favourable seasonal conditions with flooding and wet weather have created ideal conditions for pigs to breed and this has led to the growth and expansion of feral pig populations.
Over the past 12 months, Local Land Services has culled more than 97,000 feral pigs after delivering its largest coordinated pest animal control campaign, across multiple land tenures, in its history.
Feral pigs can carry and transmit a range of both animal-related and zoonotic diseases, such as leptospirosis and Brucellosis.
Under the Biosecurity Act 2015, all landholders have a responsibility to manage pest animals on their land.
Local Land Services plays a leading role in the coordination of wide-scale, cross-tenure pest animal control operations that help reduce pest animal populations and can support landholders to meet their general biosecurity duty.
Premier Chris Minns said:
“When we were elected, we committed to addressing biosecurity threats as a priority and today, we are delivering on that commitment.
“The feral pig population has increased substantially over recent years, causing millions of dollars worth of damage in lost agricultural production and environmental degradation.
“This funding boost will allow for the delivery of a sophisticated and coordinated control program to help reduce feral pig numbers across NSW. “
Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty said:
“The impact of pest animals, particularly feral pigs is enormous, whether it’s damaging native flora and fauna and attacking native species or destroying pasture, crops and fences.
“This new program will build off the incredible work undertaken by Local Land Services over the last year, with the findings from that body of work guiding this new control program.
“On top of aerial shooting operations, this new program will also deliver practical training for landholders to help control feral pigs on their properties and provide subsided feral pig bait, to promote an integrated approach to control.
“We all have a role to play in tackling the threat of biosecurity in this state, so the more landholders we have taking part in coordinated control programs, the more effective they are.”