Reclaim Kosci

18/09/2025

We're shocked: Pro brumby groups pushing fake news to school children? That doesn't sound like them...

Here's the article in today's Sydney Morning Herald:

Fake news alert! There are few issues that get people as riled up as the continuing angst over brumbies.

NSW and Victorian authorities are aiming for total eradication of the feral horses, to the distress of brumby supporters.

Now the issue has managed to ensnare Federal Education Minister Jason Clare, whose western Sydney electorate is sandwiched between Parramatta and Liverpool in Sydney’s west. Hardly Man from Snowy River territory.

But that didn’t stop a pro-brumby education campaign being trotted out to schools – with Clare apparently front and centre. The free teaching resource, called Voices for Brumbies – Kids Who Care, was electronically distributed to thousands of primary schools.

The pack opens with a glowing letter, and is filled with testimonials from not only Clare, who apparently congratulated the “civic education resource”, but also Queensland Minister for Education and the Arts John-Paul Langbroek.

Voices for Brumbies is on a mission to convert children into brumby supporters, designing a 22-page education pack complete with lesson plans, student activities and a storybook. A free lesson plan? What stretched teacher wouldn’t be interested!

Voices for Brumbies sent the pack to more than 2000 schools. According to group creator Nicole Rawlings, at least one NSW school has shown interest – but Invasive Species Council CEO Jack Gough slammed the campaign as a “transparent attempt to indoctrinate children with misinformation that undermines protection of native animals”.

The endorsement by Clare was news to him: his puzzled media team told CBD the quote was incorrectly attributed to the minister. Turns out the group had taken a generic reply from a federal Education Department staffer thanking them for their interest in civics education, and spun it into a glowing endorsement.

The endorsement also caught Langbroek’s team off guard. After some digging, they revealed the Queensland Department of Education had indeed sent a letter back to the brumby group … but Voices for Brumbies conveniently chose to omit the line stating “the department does not endorse resources or books for use in Queensland state school.”

Talk about creative editing.

Rawlings said the response from Clare’s office had a “positive tone”.

11/09/2025

Good news for our native wildlife in Kosciuszko National Park today as the Liberals commit to repeal Barilaro's brumby protection Bill! There are now the votes to get Dr Joe McGirr MP's repeal Bill through both houses of parliament and right this historic wrong in NSW.

On Thursday, Mr Speakman said the Liberals “will not block” a private members Bill by independent Wagga Wagga MP Joe McGirr, which seeks to repeal the 2018 Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act, also known as the Brumby Bill.

“We will not oppose the Bill when it comes to the floor of parliament,” Mr Speakman said.

“As environment minister, I saw the extraordinary damage that feral horses do in the Kosciuszko National Park.

“It is one of the most important natural environments we have in this country, and we have to preserve it. That means this heritage Bill needs to go.”

Mr Speakman said there was “no logical reason” to continue legally mandating feral horse populations, which is a key feature of Mr Barilaro’s controversial Bill.

Invasive Species Council indigenous ambassador and Wiradjuri man, Richard Swain, said repealing of the Brumby Bill was a “cultural battle” for the whole country.

“There’s probably not a square inch of Australia that’s had a good minute in the last 230 years,” he said.

“Hopefully it’s a new direction. It was always a cultural battle, and the fact that we’ve won the social license on this issue is huge.

“It matters, and it really matters for the entire continent, that we could win this cultural battle and start on a more connected way to move forward, a more respectful way for Australia to move forward.”

Mr Swain said the Brumby Bill had “been a disaster” and would take intervention in some areas for the soil to recover.

“The Snowy Mountains, that country didn’t evolve with any hard-hoofed animals,” he said.

“For us to do the right thing, we have to make the decision to control them (brumbies)”.

Invasive Species Council CEO Jack Gough said support had shifted from the brumbies to “overwhelmingly back our native wildlife and landscapes”.

“I think it actually tells us a story that we can feel proud of, that increasingly people want to see a wildlife revival in Australia,” he said.

Asked if there was an appetite to reduce the mandated number of horses in the park, Mr Gough said the current mandate allowed for “too many”.

“We’re seeing huge numbers of horses last week when I was up there in those retention zones – you don’t go far to see big mobs of 25 to 40 horses,” he said.

“They’re still trashing, trampling that place, cutting up those wetlands and the peat bogs. That needs to stop.

“I think the next discussion needs to be: how does the government and the broader parliament and the public back in a continued reduction in those horses.

“Because we know it’s possible. We know that it can be done safely, professionally, effectively, humanely.

“What we need now is this ridiculous law to disappear that protects a feral animal over native wildlife in a national park.”

NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman has publicly backed a Bill to repeal controversial protections for brumbies in Kosciuszko National Park introduced by former Nationals leader and deputy premier John Barilaro.

11/09/2025

Incredible news: The NSW Liberal Party have confirmed they will support the Bill to repeal Barilaro's bad brumby protection law!

This is brilliant news for our native wildlife. Labor, Liberals, Greens and Independents are all united by the need to take action to protect Kosciuszko National Park from being trashed and trampled by feral horses.

It is now clear there are the numbers in the NSW Parliament to right a historical wrong by repealing this damaging law which has protected a feral animal over our native wildlife in a national park.

It has been a huge community effort to change the politics on this one and now we have almost all of the parliament supporting action to protect our native wildlife from feral horses! Thank you Mark Speakman and James Griffin MP!

19/08/2025

Misinformation and personal attacks have been the hallmark of both the pro-brumby groups and the shooting lobby in trying to undermine the use of aerial shooting to control feral animals. The Invasive Species Council are calling this out.
Have a watch.

14/08/2025

This poem, by Penny aged 10, is addressed to the leader of the NSW Liberals.

Dear Mr Speakman

I say this with great sorrow
And I really, really mean it
But the creeks are all polluted
It's this silt, we need to clean it.

Without the pristine dirt-free rocks
Stocky galaxias can't lay their eggs
Life trampled down by wild horses
Helpless fry crushed by giant legs.

But about the threatened corroboree frogs
Infected by a deadly fungus
They're also losing sphagnum bogs
Their vital pools depend on us.

These horses, they're the real problem
Please repeal the Kozzi horse heritage act
We beg you all to try and stop them
The frogs will die, and that's a fact.

I say this for the fish who died
I speak for activists who tried
And if we stop and change our ways
The frogs will live another day.

- Penny, aged 10, Haberfield NSW
Mark Speakman, James Griffin MP

12/08/2025

Yesterday, the snow was deep at 1900 m on the Ramshead Range. Lower areas in the south of Kosciuszko NP, like the Pilot Wilderness in the background of the photo, are mostly snow-free. Feral horses wait out the winter in these remote parts of the Park, causing damage that few people see. They reduce river side grasses to thin lawns. They munch on yam daisies and baby kurrajong trees, and trample stream banks.

This winter, shooting programs in southern Kosciuszko have targeted deer and pigs. But not feral horses, because under the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act, 3000 horses must remain in the Park. The Park-wide population was reduced to around 3000 in late 2024. This spring, some of the horses, whose numbers will have increased since the 2024 survey, will move to higher ground. They will use passes like the one in the second photo, and reach the high country, putting its fragile recovery at risk.

To encourage NSW MPs to repeal the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act, NSW residents can request a writing kit at invasives.org.au/help-end-the-feral-horse-crisis-in-kosciuszko/ Thank you to those who have written so far.

To see the image captions, select the individual images.

10/08/2025

Have a watch as Wagga Wagga MP Dr Joe McGirr MP introduces the Bill to the NSW Parliament to overturn the ridiculous Barilaro Brumby Bill that protects a feral animal over our native wildlife in Kosciuszko National Park

We have high hopes that this Bill will receive the broad cross-party support needed to pass the parliament and finally end this historic farce.

Here is the full text of the speech:
Dr JOE McGIRR (Wagga Wagga) (10:20am 8/8/2025):
I introduce the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Repeal Bill 2025.
The bill removes legislation that has for too long undermined the essence of the Kosciuszko National Park and the protection of our precious natural heritage. In May, I spoke in this place in support of a petition calling for the repeal of the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018. That petition, signed by more than 11,000 concerned citizens from across New South Wales, was testament to a fundamental truth: The Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act flies in the face of logic, environmental science and responsible national park management. This is widely recognised across political aisles.

I note that at the time of the petition debate, speakers from the Government, the Opposition and The Greens spoke in support of the petition and nobody spoke against it. They agreed that the reason for repealing this Act is simple and undeniable. It has the bizarre and indefensible effect of elevating an introduced, invasive species—feral horses—above the native animals and plants that our national parks are established to protect. In environmental terms, this Act cannot be justified. It is a law that empowers destruction. Feral horses, as we know, are not benign additions to the alpine environment. They are large, hard­hoofed animals without natural predators in this ecosystem, and the landscape has not evolved to cope with their presence. They trample delicate wetlands, pollute pristine waterways, compact the soil and contribute significantly to erosion.

During the petition debate I asked whether we would legislate to protect foxes, goats or pigs in our national parks. Would it make any sense, I asked, to have a Kosciuszko wild pig heritage Act? The notion is preposterous, and yet that is precisely the absurdity enshrined in the current legislation. Why should this invasive species be given protection over the irreplaceable native species and unique ecosystems of Kosciuszko National Park? I understand the emotional appeal that wild horses hold, and we all agree that the widespread culling of wild horses is distressing. In fact, that is a very strong reason for this bill.

We do not want to see widespread culling repeated. That is why we need to change the laws to allow for science-based management of feral horses in the park so that their numbers do not again spiral out of control, resulting in more distressing and unnecessary culling. We must confront the facts. Horses are a relatively recent introduction to the park. The harm they inflict far outweighs any perceived heritage values they might hold. Even Banjo Paterson understood the need to manage wild horses and described how shooting parties had to cull horses because their numbers were spiralling out of control. We need to manage wild horse numbers. The bill will dismantle the legislative impediment that has crippled effective management.

We saw firsthand the consequences of inadequate management in the years leading up to and following the passing of the 2018 Act. Horse numbers spiralled and the environment suffered profoundly. More recently, we have also seen that as numbers have been judiciously reduced, the environment is starting to recover. This is not a matter of opinion; it is a matter of observable fact. Delicate alpine ecosystems, once trampled and degraded, are beginning to breathe again. Stream banks are stabilising, native vegetation is returning and the park's vital wetlands are showing signs of healing. This is a tangible recovery that underscores the urgency and effectiveness of reducing feral horse populations.

I know this is an emotional issue, and opponents of this bill have voiced and will continue to voice strong opposition. Their arguments often reject the scientific evidence of horse numbers and horse damage. It is extraordinary to hear some prominent wild horse supporters accuse the very architects of the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act of "betraying the Snowy brumby populations". In my mind, this only reinforces the critical need to repeal this Act, as it suggests that some advocates do not believe there should be any limit on horse numbers—a position that is entirely unsustainable for the future of our national park.

There are also emotional and erroneous claims that the feral horses in the park are descendants of World War I war horses and that to manage them is somehow a betrayal of our diggers. Sadly, the horses that served so bravely in the war—Waler horses that were sourced from across New South Wales—did not return. An article entitled One Came Home on the Australian War Memorial website confirms that all of the horses, bar one, remained on foreign shores or were humanely euthanised because of high transportation costs and fears of a disease outbreak caused by their return. The one horse that came home was Sandy, the favourite horse of Major General William Bridges. Sandy was put out to pasture at Duntroon. Whatever affection is felt for the wild horses of Kosciuszko National Park, their supposed links to the war are without basis.

The time has now come to preference science and alpine ecology over myth and misplaced romanticism. Crucially, this is not a partisan issue. We have seen cross-party support to overturn this unfortunate chapter in our State's history. I acknowledge the leadership displayed by Minister Penny Sharpe MLC, who has shown remarkable courage in backing our professional, well-respected National Parks staff to rapidly reduce horse numbers. I take my hat off to those staff and call out the work that they have done. I also acknowledge the abuse and persecution they have suffered. I thank them and acknowledge their role. I commend the Minister's commitment to evidence‑based conservation. I also commend the Minister for Families and Communities, Ms Kate Washington MP, for her strong advocacy on this issue when she was Labor's shadow environment Minister. I also acknowledge the support of the Parliamentary Secretary, Ms Trish Doyle MP, who spoke in the petition debate.

On the other side of the Chamber, we must recognise the significant contributions of former Liberal environment Minister The Hon. Matt Kean and the member for Manly, Mr James Griffin MP, whose advocacy and action set us on this vital path to action and recovery. We should also acknowledge the role of Federal Liberal leader Sussan Ley MP, who provided a crucial catalyst for the current management plan when she was the Federal environment Minister by threatening legal action against New South Wales if horse numbers were not reduced.

Closer to home, I specifically mention my colleague the member for Monaro, Mr Steve Whan MP, who is in the Chamber. He has been a strong, ongoing advocate on this issue. Finally, I thank the member for Balmain, Ms Kobi Shetty, and The Greens for their strong support on this issue.

I now turn to the details of the bill. In essence, it is about ensuring feral horses are managed like any other feral animal in the national park by our professional, well-respected National Parks staff—based on science, and using effective tools to protect our native wildlife. The bill repeals the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018 outright. It then makes essential amendments to the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974. The bill provides for the continuation of the current management plan under part 5 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act until a transition date to be appointed by proclamation. That provides a clear, defined period for a smooth and orderly transition.

During that period, the Minister will have the power to amend the management plan by order, ensuring flexibility and responsiveness to environmental needs. Furthermore, the existing Wild Horse Community Advisory Panel will continue as an advisory committee under part 3 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act until the transition date, providing continuity and allowing for expert input during this transitional phase. On or before the transition date, the Kosciuszko National Park Plan of Management must include objectives and performance measures relating to the management of wild horses, including details of methods of monitoring.

This bill enables the legal framework to ensure that the management of feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park is brought under the rigorous, science-based principles that underpin the National Parks and Wildlife Act. It restores the primacy of ecological integrity in our most precious alpine environment. The shift in community, political and media sentiment on this issue has been remarkable, driven by sustained education and engagement. I acknowledge the tireless efforts of the scientists who provided the evidence; the passionate locals, bushwalkers and skiers who witnessed the degradation and spoke up; the vital Indigenous voices, including Richard Swain, who reminded us of country's inherent value; and the political champions from all sides who have driven this difficult but necessary debate and ensured this change could occur. I also thank key drivers of the reform. I particularly note Jack Gough, the Invasive Species Council, Linda Groom and volunteers that she got together for the petition.

There are many people in the gallery today. I acknowledge their work and thank them. This has not been easy. Those who debate the other side of the argument have been aggressive and have subjected people to considerable, difficult criticism. I thank those in the gallery for their courage and support. Finally, I thank and commend Paul Terry from my office for his work in bringing the bill to the House.

We now have a choice to make: Do we remove feral animals with the best available tools, humanely, safely and professionally, or do we allow numbers to get out of control so that they trash, trample and pollute our landscapes and help send our native wildlife extinct? It is time to end the farce that protects an invasive species at the expense of our national environmental heritage. Future generations will thank us for taking this decisive action.

I commend the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Repeal Bill 2025 to the House."

07/08/2025

Tomorrow, Friday 7th August, will mark another step towards repeal of the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act. Dr Joe McGirr, Independent member for Wagga Wagga, will address the NSW Legislative Assembly on his private member's bill to repeal the Act. You will be able to watch his speech on the Legislative Assembly Livestream (www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/pages/la-webcast-page.aspx) at approximately 10.15 am.

Dr McGirr will also table the text of the repeal bill, making it a public document. Members of Parliament will have some weeks to consider their positions in preparation for debate on the repeal bill, which will occur later in the NSW Parliament's Spring Session. Image: Dr McGirr with Reclaim Kosci volunteers in Wagga.

06/08/2025

So many great letters in the Sydney Morning Herald today from people speaking up for our native wildlife and mountain streams and calling on Mark Speakman, James Griffin and the NSW Liberals to back Dr Joe McGirr's Bill to repeal Barilaro's bad law protecting feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park.
We are filled with optimism from all the amazing people writing to their local state MP to ask them to support this repeal - keep up the great work everyone!

05/08/2025

😀🐸Some good news: Current and former Liberal MPs are standing up and speaking out in support of Independent MP Dr Joe McGirr's Bill to repeal Barilaro's bad Brumby Bill which protects feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park.

Under the current law, 3000 horses must be kept trashing and tramping one third of the national park. We have been working hard with Dr McGirr, the community and in parliament to ensure we get cross party support from Labor, Liberal, Greens and Independents to scrap this ridiculous law.

Thank you current Liberal MPs Aileen MacDonald and Robert Dwyer and former Liberal Ministers Matt Kean and Rob Stokes for standing up for our wildlife and mountain streams.

In today's story, Aileen MacDonald says: “I have seen the damage caused by wild horses on a visit to Mount Kosciuszko; the science and evidence to support repealing the bill is there. The majority of my Liberal Party colleagues will be of a similar view to me.”

Rober Dwyer has told his constituents he does not believe that feral animals have any place in our environment and that he supports the removal of these, so that our native animals can flourish.

Matt Kean calls the passage of the Kosciusko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018 a “mistake of potentially historic proportions” and says:
"Repealing the act now will limit the damage and give nature a fighting chance to recover. We set aside regions such as the delicate alpine swamps of Kosciusko for protection because they are unique, irreplaceable and precious. Letting heavy exotic animals run wild in the park is pushing endangered native species to the brink.”

Rob Stokes says wild horses are “clearly incompatible with our alpine environments” and it is time to “humanely euthanise Barilaro’s Brumby Bill”.

😀🐸Some good news: Current and former Liberal MPs are standing up and speaking out in support of Independent MP Joe McGirr's Bill to repeal Barilaro's bad Brumby Bill which protects feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park.

Under the current law, 3000 horses must be kept trashing and tramping one third of the national park. We have been working hard with the community and in parliament to try to get cross party support to scrap this ridiculous law.

Here's the story in the Sydney Morning Herald today:

A bill to repeal protections for the thousands of remaining wild horses in Kosciuszko National Park introduced by former deputy premier John Barilaro in 2018 is driving a wedge between the Coalition as Liberal MPs indicate they will support the effort despite opposition from the Nationals.

Liberal backbenchers Aileen McDonald and Robert Dwyer said they were inclined to support the bill while former treasurer Matt Kean and former planning minister Rob Stokes both urged the party to repeal the legislation.

Kean went as far as saying the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act, also known as the Brumby Bill, was a “mistake of potentially historic proportions”.

Introduced by Barilaro in 2018 to recognise the cultural significance of brumbies in the south-west NSW national park, the bill mandated protecting a “heritage herd” of feral horses but sparked uproar because of the environmental damage the introduced species caused.

Provisions within the bill that prohibited culling, including aerial shooting, meant the population of brumbies rocketed until amendments in 2023 allowed lethal means. The number of horses dropped to between 1579 and 5717, according to a government survey in May.

Wagga Wagga independent MP Joe McGirr’s Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Repeal Bill 2025 was due to be debated in parliament this week but will probably be delayed. The Coalition’s shadow cabinet has not yet considered the bill, and neither have either of the parties’ caucuses.

In May, a petition with 11,000 signatures calling for the repeal of the Brumby Bill was debated in parliament.

In an email obtained by the Herald, Dwyer’s electorate office says the recently elected Liberal MP has informed Opposition Leader Mark Speakman he would support McGirr’s repeal bill.

“I have authority from Rob to tell you that he does not believe that feral animals have any place in our environment and that he supports the removal of these, so that our native animals can flourish,” the July 31 email stated.

The Port Macquarie MP was contacted for comment.

McDonald, who served as a committee member on the inquiry into the proposed aerial shooting of brumbies in Kosciuszko National Park, said she was “inclined to support the bill” but would follow the lead of opposition environment spokesman James Griffin and the party room.

“I have seen the damage caused by wild horses on a visit to Mount Kosciuszko; the science and evidence to support repealing the bill is there,” she said. “The majority of my Liberal Party colleagues will be of a similar view to me.”

Nationals upper house MPs Wes Fang and Nichole Overall said they supported the existing Brumby Bill. Fang said he was opposed to McGirr’s bill, adding the original legislation recognised the cultural significance of wild horses and no one in the Liberal Party had articulated their changed position.

“I would oppose the bill. I don’t know why the Liberal Party are voicing their support for it given the party was clear in its support of the original bill being passed through both houses,” he said.

Overall said the agreement that underpinned Barilaro’s original bill had been nailed down after years of “work, consultation and research”. With the estimated feral horse population in the national park half the legislated figure of 3000, she argued the repeal was an “unnecessary move”.

“I would hope everyone would be fully informed about what it took to reach this point, why we reached this point and why we need to allow this to work as we intended it to do,” she said.

Stokes, who was minister for education when Barilaro’s legislation passed, said wild horses were “clearly incompatible with our alpine environments” and it was time to “humanely euthanise Barilaro’s Brumby Bill”.

“The parliament was told that the Brumby Bill would ensure that wild horses would be managed. It is clear that the legislation has failed to manage wild horse numbers,” he said. “Barra’s Brumby Bill was supposed to achieve a balance: on that score, the legislation has failed badly.”

Barilaro was contacted for comment.

Speakman said: “The bill has yet to be introduced and second read. Once available, the bill will be considered by shadow cabinet and party room.”

Kean, a former Liberal environment minister now chair of the Climate Change Authority, said the passage of the Kosciusko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018 was a “mistake of potentially historic proportions”.

“Repealing the act now will limit the damage and give nature a fighting chance to recover. We set aside regions such as the delicate alpine swamps of Kosciusko for protection because they are unique, irreplaceable and precious,” Kean said.

“Letting heavy exotic animals run wild in the park is pushing endangered native species to the brink.”

05/08/2025

The Spring Session of the NSW Parliament begins this week. One of the items up for debate during the Spring Session will be the bill to repeal the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act. We wish the MPs well as they decide whether to repeal this ridiculous law that says that feral horses should 'prevail' over native animals and plants in Kosciuszko National Park. May their decisions be evidence-based and swift.

02/08/2025

Taken near the junction of the Snowy River & Spencers Creek late last week, this photo shows the Snowy Mountains are still doing their eco-job of storing water. In this image, the obvious water-storing mechanism is snow. Hidden from the camera are the alpine humus soils, peatlands and delicate sphagnum moss that soak up water for later slow release. Kosciuszko National Park gives us both natural water management services and beautiful scenery; all we need to do in return is protect its natural processes. Image: Mike Bremers.