Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Nationals Member for Northern Tablelands, Brendan Moylan, is urging the Minns Labor Government to do more to control feral pigs across the state.
Between July 2024 and June 2025, just 83,207 feral pigs were culled from an estimated population of more than 100 million.
Mr Moylan said the government’s response is a drop in the ocean.
“The destruction being caused is immense and our farmers are fighting a losing battle,” Mr Moylan said.
“Feral pigs are tearing through native vegetation and damaging fragile ecosystems, particularly ground-level plant layers.
“They are also attacking livestock, including lambs and calves, as well as destroying crops and soil.
“Current control methods – such as aerial shooting, baiting, and trapping – are simply not keeping pace.
“Culling in the tens of thousands won’t make a dent when pig numbers are exploding; landholders are limited in the control methods they’re allowed to use.
“What is needed is increased funding and locally focused control programs. A one-size-fits-all approach across the state will not work.
“Control efforts must be targeted and ongoing, because once an area is treated, pig numbers rebound with extraordinary speed.
“The Minns Labor Government needs to start taking this seriously. They need to look at the extraordinary toll these feral pests are having on our environment and our agricultural productivity.”
