Gladys: Tell Barilaro to Pull his Head in on Horses

2020-06-04

The Premier needs to tell the Member for Monaro and Deputy Premier John Barilaro to pull his head in and stop risking the World Heritage status of Kosciuszko National Park for the short-term interests of the National Party, said Greens MP and environment spokesperson Cate Faehrmann.

John Barilaro has today called on the Environment Minister to halt the Government’s trapping and rehoming program for feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park. 

“The Berejiklian Government has delivered John Barilaro everything he has asked for when it comes to the thousands of pest horses roaming Kosci causing untold damage to this once-pristine world heritage area,” Ms Faehrmann said.

“The latest survey* of horse numbers undertaken last year was conducted by qualified professionals and found there are more than 25,000 horses in Kosciuszko National Park. 

“These horses are declared pests and compete with our threatened native wildlife for food and destroy their habitat. That’s why it was a relief last year for everybody who cares about Kosciuszko National Park when the Environment Minister finally approved a plan to trap and re-home 4,000 horses. 

“Yet even if 4,000 horses are trapped and re-homed, this is still just 15 percent of the entire feral horse population. There’s no danger of horses becoming extinct, but unless we significantly reduce their numbers in Kosci, some native species will be wiped out, and these fragile ecosystems changed forever.

“The Liberals have been held hostage by John Barilaro and his National Party mates on this issue for too long. Please Premier, tell your Deputy to pull his head in or our irreplaceable Kosciuszko National Park will be destroyed forever,” said Ms Faehrmann.

* In autumn 2019, the Australian Alps National Parks Co-operative Management Program working with Parks Victoria, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and ACT Parks and Conservation Service undertook a feral horse aerial survey in the Australian Alps

Contact: Jacob Miller - 0428 837 292