On behalf of the Government, I speak in support of the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Repeal Bill 2025. I begin by acknowledging the member for Wagga Wagga and thank him for his work in bringing the bill to this place. I also acknowledge the member for Monaro, who unfortunately is unable to be here today but would have wanted to be part of the debate as it concerns his electorate. The bill will repeal the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018—a flawed piece of legislation—while providing a prudent and staged approach to integrating wild horses into the existing statutory management framework for the park. The bill represents another important step in ongoing efforts to ensure a sensible, balanced approach towards protecting and restoring the ecological integrity of one of Australia's most treasured natural landscapes.
The current New South Wales Government is on record opposing the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act—as the then Opposition—when it was introduced in 2018. I clearly remember contributing to debate on the bill in June 2018. At that time, the Hon. Penny Sharpe, now the Minister for the Environment, observed that the legislation would "cast aside the National Parks and Wildlife Act in favour of an introduced species long recognised as contributing to and causing severe damage to Australia's fragile alpine environments". Unfortunately, those concerns became reality. The passage of the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018 gave unprecedented legal protection to a feral animal species in a national park—a decision that should never have occurred in the first place.
Let us be clear: Wild horses—or brumbies, as they are sometimes called—are not native to this land. I acknowledge that, for many people, this is an emotional issue across the political spectrum and within communities. However, wild horses are an introduced species, and their unchecked proliferation in Kosciuszko National Park has caused extensive environmental degradation over many years. The scientific evidence is unequivocal. Decades of research demonstrates the harm that feral horses have inflicted on the park. They trample fragile vegetation, erode riverbanks, destroy wetlands, affect water quality and threaten endangered native species, such as the corroboree frog, the broad-toothed rat and the stocky galaxias fish. Wild horses are not a natural part of Australia's unique ecosystems; they are introduced animals, whose presence is incompatible with the significant conservation values of Kosciuszko National Park.
Kosciuszko National Park is not just a scenic backdrop; it is a global treasure. It contains unique ecosystems, landscapes, native plants and animals found nowhere else, and they deserve the highest level of protection. The park also has significant Aboriginal cultural heritage and historic heritage value, as well as being extremely popular for a wide and growing variety of recreational activities. It is for those reasons that the park is listed as part of the Australian Alps National Parks National Heritage Places and protected under the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Fortunately, under this Government, great progress has been made in taking effective and evidence-backed action to reduce the wild horse population in the park, while ensuring the use of best practice animal welfare methods. That includes the use of aerial shooting, which the Legislative Council Animal Welfare Committee recommended should continue in its 2024 inquiry report. There are promising early signs of recovery in the park following the rapid reduction in horse numbers over the past 18 months, specifically, reduced bare ground, increased vegetation coverage, and less pugging and trampling of stream banks around fragile subalpine waterways and broad-toothed rat habitat. Recovery will take a long time—possibly decades—and it will need to be monitored carefully to track progress and identify areas where further restoration actions may be required.
The repeal bill is not just about removing a flawed law; it is about reaffirming this Government's commitment to science-based conservation. It will remove the statutory protection given to a feral species and allow for the integration of wild horse management into the existing plan of management for Kosciuszko National Park. The bill sets out a process to achieve that through a managed, gradual transition and not a sudden shift. It ensures continuity, accountability and transparency in the management of wild horses in Kosciuszko National Park, going forward. Importantly, the bill reflects community sentiment and the clear support for taking effective action to control wild horses in the park. That support has been clearly expressed in public submissions about the wild horse heritage management plan, in submissions to State and Federal inquiries, and in petitions to Parliament. I again thank the member for Wagga Wagga for bringing that petition to this place.
Repealing the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018 does not mean erasing history or disregarding the values that some people place on wild horses. It also does not mean eradicating all horses from the national park or the end of rehoming opportunities for registered rehomers. What it does means is that wild horses—a damaging feral species—will no longer receive special treatment via standalone legislation that sets them apart from overall arrangements for the management of Kosciuszko National Park. Instead, wild horse matters will be integrated into the existing statutory plan of management for the park, where they can be considered, prioritised and addressed alongside along other key park management issues. We must let science and sense guide our decisions about how we manage this unique and special place. Let us repeal the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018 and get on with the important job of looking after our largest national park and protecting it for the benefit of generations to come.
The Government supports this incredibly significant repeal bill, which has been a long time coming. We must act with clarity and common sense in removing nonsensical legislation that protects a feral animal species in one of our most iconic and well-loved national parks. I urge the Parliament to repeal the 2018 Act and reaffirm our commitment to protecting the values of the Kosciuszko National Park. I thank the good member for Wagga Wagga for his relentless work and for his advocacy with communities across the State in bringing this bill to the House.
I acknowledge the people I worked with since before 2018 from the Invasive Species Council, particularly Andrew Cox and Jack Gough. I also acknowledge the council's Indigenous ambassador, Snowy River guide and Reclaim Kosci founder Richard Swain and his wife, Alison, who spoke passionately with courage and expertise to educate my Blue Mountains community many years ago at the screening of Where the Water Starts. I acknowledge petition coordinator Linda Groom and the thousands upon thousands of people who signed and collected signatures. I also acknowledge the Blue Mountains Conservation Society, which aided the campaign to reach this point today. I commend the bill to the House.
