Grey nomads – like many other sections of the community – are divided over the best way to deal with the brumby ‘problem’ in Kosciuszko National Park … but the NSW Environment Minister has no such doubt.
Mark Speakman has dismissed strong opposition to the Government’s Wild Horse Draft Management Plan, insisting he will deal what he describes as an out-of-control brumby population in Kosciuszko National Park.
“You can have wild horses in many parts of Australia,” Mr Speakman told the ABC. “I don’t want to see park continue to deteriorate on my watch as environment minister, and I am determined that we have to intervene.”
The draft plan proposes reducing the brumby population in the national park by 90% in 20 years … from an estimated 6,000 to 600.
The draft plan has ruled out aerial culling as a control method, but recommends using ground shooting as a management strategy.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service says brumbies and other feral animals are damaging the environment and threatening the habitats of endangered animals such as the broad toothed rat and the corroboree frog.
Graeme Worboys from the Australian National University told the ABC said people did not understand what was at stake.
“I like horses too, but I like Australian animals as well,” he said. “And why shouldn’t they have a chance to live, to survive, to continue?”
However, wild horse advocacy groups such as the Victorian Brumby Association have strongly objected to the culling plan.
The Association’s Colleen O’Brien argues the ecosystem is healthy and that, in some cases, the horses are helping the environment by keeping introduced grasses under control.
“What we’re seeing in Kosciuszko is lots of healthy horses and lots of healthy environments,” she said. “Brumbies out in the high country; it’s just absolutely magical.”
The public is being invited to comment on the draft plan, with submissions closing on August 19.
* What do you think about the draft management culling plan? Comment below.
Hi , I understand the need of reduction of huge volumes of horses that cause destruction to inviroment. But ensure all horses are removed humanily dead or alive nothing left to decompose .
Not like the arial shoot coducted at Bluewater Qld. where 120 horses were shot and left to decompose in the bush, get the wind in the right direction you can imagine the result for those living in the area. What happened by leaving the dead animals behind the wild pigs & Dingo,s had a field day like all wild animals when food is abunatant breeding steps up a notch. Not to mention the injured horses that were left to wander around with a bullet in them but not dead, it was left to ajoining farmers to the National Parks to end up putting them down weeks & weeks later , when authorities contacted about such animals the response was did not have the man power plus would cost to much.
I know as I was living there when all this happened so know it happened. The wild horses caused 5 accidents with 4 fatalitys during my time in the area , this could all have been prevented by proper fencing , and proper method of culling and removed the animals humanily.
They have band greyhound racing what they are proposing is far worse cruel and inhuman they need to take a good hard look at themselves
In NZ we had a similar problem in the central North Island with out of control wild horse numbers. There was an outcry when they were 1st culled by shooting, so the horse people got themselves organised and now there is a roundup every few yrs and the old horses are trucked to a pet food factory and the good ones, mostly the younger ones, are allocated to specially selected and vetted trainers. These trainers have their facilities inspected so that the facilities can safely handle these wild horses. Also the trainers themselves have the necessary qualifications.
Many of these horses end up as ponies on farms and also as show ponies.
I don’t know if this could be a solution in this instance.
They have banned the stockmen from the park for no good reason, as the stock DO NOT CAUSE PROBLEMS and now they are trying to obliterate an Australian ikon the BRUMBY.
It is about time that the authorities woke up to themselves andpreserves teh park correctly.
If the authorities DO NOT MANAGE THE PARK CORRECTLY WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER DISASTER AND ROARING BUSHFIRES