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’s 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, leading 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 animal-related and zoonotic diseases, such as leptospirosis and Brucellosis.
Under the Biosecurity Act 2015, all landholders are responsible for managing pest animals on their land.
Local Land Services plays a leading role in the coordination of wide-scale. These cross-tenure pest animal control operations help reduce pest animal populations and can support landholders in meeting their general biosecurity duty.