NSW Shooters & Fishers Party Press Release on Feral Goat Control

The Hon. Robert Brown MLC
Parliament of New South Wales
Legislative Council
Shooters and Fishers Party

MEDIA RELEASE

7 September 2010

Shooters and Fishers Party MLC Robert Brown has criticised the hypocrisy of the State
Government's announcement that it will take two years to draw up a plan to control feral
goats in New South Wales.

Mr Brown said he was amazed Environment Minister Sartor announced today that feral goats
are one of the biggest threats to biodiversity and threatened species after foxes and cats, but
would do nothing about it until 2012.

"My Game and Feral Animal Control Amendment Bill 2009 was all about having these feral
animals controlled in our National Parks - but the Government has refused to support it,
because it fears upsetting the Greens and the preference deals it is banking on in March.

"My Bill would see volunteer hunters culling these feral animals from remote national parks.

"The system already works in our State Forests, and I see it as a natural extension of the
program to have it operate in National Parks.

"Mr Sartor says 46,000 feral goats were removed from national parks by the National Parks
and Wildlife Service in the past year - but at what cost?

"We already know that when they shot pigs on Toorale it cost about $30 per pig.

"There is no doubt the NPWS is grossly inefficient at culling feral animals, and it is time Mr
Sartor agreed to let the Game Council volunteer hunter system help the environment.

"The Minister is talking about erecting goat proof fencing to keep them away from watering
points in Western New South Wales, in an eflort to stop them wandering into National Parks.

"Why not do the job properly and immediately, by having conservation hunters cull them as
our Bill proposed, rather than take another two years to draw up a plan to control them - the
environment cannot wait until then to have firm action taken to remove the feral goats.

Further Information - Robert Brown MLC - 0429 303 250

Parliament House Phone: 0292303059 Fax: 0292302613
Macquarie 5t SYDNEY N5W 2000

email: robert.brown@parliament.nsw.gov.au
.