Feral bounty debate rages as hunting Bill introduced into NSW Parliament

By Krista Schade

NSW Premier Chris Minns has sparked debate around the introduction of a bounty on feral animals.

Speaking on radio last week Mr Minns suggested that a system where shooters are paid a small fee for each feral animal killed could be a "novel way" to reduce their populations, which he believes have "taken over a lot of parks."

He also indicated that it could encourage recreational shooters who might have been deterred by rising fuel and food costs.

He cited Victoria's fox bounty scheme, which paid around $14-$15 per fox in 2022, as a potential model.

The Australian Pig Doggers and Hunters Association (APDHA) said feral pigs are “a plague” and they support a bounty. The organisation recently partnered with NSW Farmers to trial a bounty scheme at Tottenham

The trial, conducted in January 2025, yielded 1,427 pigs from a 51,869ha trial site.

Findings from the trial compared the $20 per snout bounty cost, to that of the Local Land Service eradication program, which APDHA calculated to $198 per pig.

“Theorists parroting ‘best practice’ models while ignoring hunters in the field are achieving almost nothing in the face of these numbers,” an APDHA spokesperson said.

“Pig hunters killed an estimated 5.3 million pigs in Australia last year, up to 10 times the total of all ‘best practice’ programs.

Member for Murray Helen Dalton welcomes the proposal.

“I’ve been pushing for the NSW Government to impose a bounty on foxes and pigs,” Ms Dalton said.

“It also helps the feral cat problem which are a big threat to native species.

“When hunters see a cat in the bush they will shoot it, so it’s almost a two-for-one deal.”

Ms Dalton said pigs are invading vineyards around Griffith, trekking in from neighbouring reserves.

“NSW is losing the battle against these pests and we need help.

“Recreational shooters should be allowed in National Parks,” she said.

“Kangaroos are invading our farms, pushed out of the Parks by pigs, goats and foxes.

“If we place a bounty on ferals, then perhaps the kangaroos can go back to the Parks.”

NSW Farmers also welcomed the announcement that the Premier is open to consider a bounty.

“We know animal pests are expected to cause damages in excess of $489 million annually by next year," NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin said.

"That's a staggering amount of money, and that's why we welcome the Premier's approach to look at every option to slash the number of feral animals.

"We know there's going to need to be tight controls to ensure safety, uphold biosecurity and enforce authorisation, but NSW Farmers is prepared to work with government to get this right and solve this problem once and for all."

Shooter, Fishers and Farmers (SFF) MP Robert Borsak introduced a bill into NSW Parliament last week.

The Game and Feral Animal Control Amendment (Conservation Hunting) Bill 2025 will revise the management system for public-land hunting in NSW, introduce reforms including allowing licensed hunters to use suppressors, and recognise hunting as both a conservation tool and a cultural tradition. 

It is understood the SFF has the numbers to see the bill through.

“This is about balance,” Mr Borsak said.

“It ensures hunting is well-managed, ethical and effective, it encourages participation on public and private land, benefiting our environment, economy and regional communities.”

Not everyone agrees with the proposed approach.

The Invasive Species Council recently slammed the news, saying there is overwhelming evidence that it will waste taxpayers’ money, and make no difference to the numbers of these invasive species. 

“This is a dirty deal with the Shooters Party for votes and has nothing to do with good feral animal management,” Invasive Species Council CEO Jack Gough said.

“Bounty hunters might be heroes on the big screen, but in the real world of feral animal control, they’re just a waste of taxpayers’ money.

“It’s why (last year) Mr Minns promised a NSW Farmers conference that he would not introduce bounties and Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty ruled them out in a statement to the ABC in January this year.

“It is why the NSW Natural Resource Commission did not recommend bounties in their recent comprehensive advice to the Premier on reforming invasive species management in NSW.”