'Victory for truth': Brumbies lose protection under new law

Friday, 28 November 2025 07:40

Wild horses in Kosciuszko National Park will be treated as any other invasive species after the bill was passed.

Years of protection for the brumbies in one of New South Wales' iconic national parks has ended after a vote in state parliament overnight.

A bill to repeal the 2018 Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act passed both houses of parliament with bipartisan backing and the support of independents including its original sponsor, Wagga Wagga MP Dr Joe McGirr, and upper house advocate Legalise Cannabis MLC Jeremy Buckingham.

Advocates have hailed the bill as a win for the environment and Australia's natural heritage.

Under the existing legislation, the NSW government was obliged to maintain a population of 3000 wild horses confined to 32 per cent of Kosciuszko National Park, which still allowed for aerial shooting as a means of control.

A 2023 survey revealed there to be between about 12,000 and 21,000 horses in the national park, which lies south of the ACT, near the Victorian border.

Considered by some a symbol of Australia's early colonial heritage, environmental advocates say the wild horses – not native to Australia – pose a threat to the alpine habitat and species such as the southern corroboree frog.

Invasive Species Council Indigenous ambassador and Snowy River guide Richard Swain said the new bill's victory was "a victory for truth over mythology".

"For years, we've watched the alpine wetlands dry out, the snow-grass trampled, the frogs and fish vanish," he said.

"To finally see our Parliament stand with Country and the people who have fought for it – that's something to be proud of. It shows that courage and compassion can walk together."

Invasive Species Council chief executive Jack Gough called the original Heritage Act a "political stunt".

"No one likes to see animals killed, but the sad reality is that we have a choice to make between urgently reducing the numbers of feral horses or accepting the destruction of sensitive alpine ecosystems and habitats, and the decline and extinction of native animals," he said.

NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the bill would see brumbies treated as any other invasive species in a state national park.

"I have visited Kosciuszko National Park and clearly seen that control of wild horses is enabling the natural ecosystem to bounce back."

McGirr, whose electorate covered a third of Kosciuszko National Park, said the bill corrected a "serious mistake".

"The Wild Horse Heritage Act put symbolism ahead of science and ideology ahead of evidence – and our most fragile alpine landscapes paid the price," he said.

"Repealing this law restores integrity to environmental decision-making in New South Wales."

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