The NSW Government has announced it has sought a technical review of feral pig and deer management, after investing $40m into the Biosecurity Action Plan and the appointment of a feral pig coordinator.
The Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty appointed Independent Biosecurity Commissioner Katherine Clift, to investigate ways to further improve feral pig and deer management in NSW.
It is estimated feral pig populations cost the NSW economy more than $50m a year, with most losses felt by crop growers. The flow on effects include reduction in the quality of stock, who are competing with the pigs for feed, and damage to farming infrastructure.
Years of ideal breeding conditions have seen an explosion in the feral pig population, with sows able to breed once they reach about 25kg in weight or six months in age, and can potentially produce two litters of up to 10 piglets in a year.
Government figures show around 240,000 feral pigs have been controlled over the past three years, with the program deploying increased aerial culling, a widespread free bait program, and engaging landholders who are responsible for managing feral pests on their properties.
The review was announced in the wake of an aerial shooting operation which removed 2,276 feral pigs over five days in the Mungery and Dandaloo area near the Bogan River, an hour west of Dubbo.
The Government’s Local Land Services carried out the shoot across more than 149,000ha of land, including private farmland and publicly managed travelling stock reserves and State Forest.
Over the next two months, Local Land Services plans to undertake 17 aerial shooting operations across NSW, targeting feral pigs and other pest animals.
Aerial shooting is a key component of coordinated control programs, that follows months of work being undertaken with primary control measures such as baiting and trapping.
These primary control methods are currently the most effective at reducing large feral pig numbers, with aerial shooting used in combination to address any remaining pigs.
Clift has been asked to identify and recommend actions that will:
- Examine the best available tools and techniques for controlling feral pigs and deer at a regional scale, including new and emerging technologies
- Work through the challenges of delivering feral pest programs across different landscapes and land tenures
- Increase landholder participation in regional programs, to ensure landholders deliver on their biosecurity duty and improve the success of on-ground management efforts including trapping and baiting.
“Clift’s review into our feral pig program is an important next step in making sure we are getting the most out of the program,” Moriarty said.
“The findings will help refine how public and private land managers work together, ensuring control programs are consistent, practical and responsive to local needs.”
Preliminary advice will be delivered to the NSW Government in June 2026 and a final report will be delivered in October 2026.