SHADOW Minister for Agriculture and Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan is urging the Minns Labor Government to do more when it comes to controlling feral pigs across New South Wales.
Between July, 2024 and June, 2025, just 83,207 feral pigs were culled.
With population numbers of feral pigs estimated to be more than 100 million, Mr Moylan said the government’s response to pig numbers 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,” he said.
“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.”
NSW Farmers’ says new data has revealed the NSW Government is contributing just ‘bits of bacon’ to the desperate effort to curb feral pigs.
Media reports of 53,000 feral pigs culled by authorities over the past year were dwarfed by the estimated tens of millions of the pests farmers were reporting in the paddock, NSW Farmers’ President Xavier Martin said.
“This isn’t the whole population control we need to see, it’s just a few bits of bacon,” Mr Martin said.
“We’ve never seen pig numbers this bad before, and I’m hearing report upon report from farmers who have hordes of these pests just tearing through their farms like a relentless force that can’t be stopped.”
Mr Martin said farmers feared the feral pig population would only surge without the delivery of an effective control strategy in the next state budget.
“Five figure culls simply aren’t going to do the job when numbers are surging, farmers are being restricted in what tools they can use, and there’s no guarantee of funding for control programs past June 30,” Mr Martin said.
“Previous investments have been helpful, but we need to see the state government commit to a long term, coordinated control strategy that doesn’t just draw on a variety of tactics, but delivers real results.
“The NSW Government has promised to do its bit to control these pests, but we know they’re still breeding up on public land as farmers fight an uphill battle against them.
“It’s time for the Treasurer to come to the party this state budget season and get serious about feral pigs if we’re ever going to break the breeding cycle, for good.”
