2023-01-27
Despite commitments from the NSW Government to reduce numbers, the feral horse population in Kosciuszko National Park has exploded from an estimated 14,380 to almost 19,000 over the last 2 years. The Government’s plan is to reduce feral horse numbers to 3,000 by 2027 to protect the alpine environment but they only managed to remove 859 last year.
Greens MP and spokesperson for the environment, Sue Higginson, said “The massive increase in feral horse numbers is a fail and a tragedy for the beautiful and globally significant Kosciuszko National Park and an indictment of the Government’s empty promises to protect the environment,
“The NSW Liberals have been held captive by The Nationals on environment policy for almost 12 years and the impact on places like Kosciuszko is devastating,
“Feral horses are an invasive species that cannot be allowed to exist in a fragile and protected wilderness like Australia’s alpine regions. Even the Government’s target of 3,000 by 2027 is too many when we are talking about a National Park. Kosciuszko has significant management challenges as the climate changes, the Government has ignored the science and played politics with this National treasure,
“If this trend is not brought under control, there could be more than 50,000 feral horses in Kosciuszko over the next 7 to 8 years. It doesn’t take a mathematician to realise the scale of the Government’s failure,
“These invasive species destroy delicate ecosystems and push native species towards extinction. The Government has committed to zero extinctions in National Parks and their failure to address rising feral horse numbers will make this another empty promise,” Ms Higginson said.