Petition seeking to scrap heritage value of brumbies debated in NSW parliament
A debate took place in NSW parliament in Sydney on Thursday afternoon, prompted by an 11,300-signature petition calling for the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018 to be repealed.
The Act, also known as the Brumby Bill, recognises and protects the heritage of wild horses in the park.
It has shaped the Kosciuszko Wild Heritage Management Plan, which must reduce the thousands of horses in the park to 3,000 by June 2027 using various methods, including aerial shooting.
Independent Member for Wagga Wagga Joe McGirr, whose electorate includes the NSW Snowy Mountains, said he wanted the Brumby Bill scrapped, and backed the petition in parliament.
"The Wild Horse Heritage Act has the bizarre effect of supporting an introduced species in a national park over and above the native animals and plants," he said.
"In environmental terms, this Act cannot be justified.
Member for Bankstown Jihad Dib, who spoke as a representative of the NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe, said the state government would not pursue a repeal and would continue to focus on meeting the 2027 target.
"The NSW government does not, therefore, consider pursuing repeal of the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018 to be a priority at this time," Mr Dib said.
However, Labor's Member for Blue Mountains, Trisha Lee Doyle, suggested a repeal would be possible.
"My understanding is that this request, put on your behalf by the Member for Wagga Wagga, is not off the table," she said.
Labor's Member for Monaro, Steve Whan, whose electorate shares the Snowy Mountains, echoed the sentiment.
"I think we will eventually get to the repeal of this legislation," he said.
Liberal's Member for Manly, James Griffin, and Green's Member for Balmain, Kobi Shetty, also spoke in support of the petition.
Nearly 100 supporters of scrapping the 2018 Act came to watch the 30-minute debate.
Many had signed the petition led by Canberra resident and Invasive Species Council volunteer, Linda Groom, and gathered in 50 different locations in NSW over a 10-month period in 2024.
Ms Groom said she wanted there to be no horses in the park.
She said she had hoped Labor would make a "clearer commitment" but was buoyed by some of the cross-party support on the topic.
"Labor said it was not a priority at this time … but they also said it was on the table," she said.
"We're thinking, with a bit more work, it will happen."
Australian Brumby Alliance president Nikki Alberts has expressed doubts about what would happen to the horses if a repeal occurred, and that animal welfare was a priority.
"I want to see something in place that repealing the bill doesn't mean they go in an aerial cull them," she said.
"I want to see a management plan moving forward, whether the bill's repealed or not, where people can work together, rather than parks and the government shutting us out."
It was estimated in October 2023 that the population of brumbies in the park had reached between 12,000 and 21,000.
In March, NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe indicated that between 3,000 and 4,000 wild horses remained in Kosciuszko National Park.
The peer-reviewed survey of that count, conducted in 2024, is yet to be published, much to Ms Alberts' concern.
"How do they know they're on track when they can't actually release the numbers to us," she said.
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