Feral Pig Program 2023-2024
Local Land Services (LLS) delivered the 2023-2024 $13 million Feral Pig Program on behalf of the NSW Government in response to the widespread growth in the number of feral pigs across NSW.
This program successfully achieved its aim of reducing feral pig populations and their impacts across the state through increased coordinated support and broadscale control programs, using the latest technologies.
Key outcomes from 18 October 2023 to 30 June 2024.
When the NSW Government’s $13 million Feral Pig Program began in October 2023 a target was set to control 87,000 feral pigs across the state.
In just over 8 months this target was successfully exceeded having controlled 112,888 feral pigs.
The program has seen the damaging impacts of feral pigs reduced, benefiting landholders and protecting agricultural assets and the environment.
The new Feral Pig and Pest Program 2024-2025
In June 2024 the NSW Government announced $13.1 million to build on the success of the Feral Pig Program.
This funding will continue the campaign to reduce pest animal populations, benefit landholders, minimise biosecurity risks to livestock and lower the risk of environmental and damage.
Find out more about the new Feral Pig and Pest Program 2024-2025 and the continued support available to landholders to control feral pigs and pest animals.
Key activities and achievements of the 2023-2024 Feral Pig Program:
- controlled 112,888 pigs, 25,888 above the original target of 87,000
- conducted 49 aerial control programs, 3 more than the target of 46
- boosted ground control programs across all regions to further support existing landholder driven programs
- worked across 3 priority landscape scale control zones to reduce numbers in feral pig hotspots across North West, Central West, Riverina and Western NSW
- supported 7,375 landholders in control programs and provided 10,325 one-on-one consultations by local biosecurity officers
- held 117 capacity building and training events, 18 over our target of 99 sessions, to equip landholders with information and skills to continue actively managing pests on their property
- boosted support to farmers through the Feral Fighters’ initiative including:
- 21 free Vertebrate Pesticide Induction Training (VPIT) courses
- issuing 199,886 kg of free 1080 baited grain.
- captured impacts and population estimations through monitoring initiatives
- appointed NSW’s first dedicated Feral Pig Coordinator to lead the program.
Hear directly from landholders who have received our support and are having success with their feral pig control methods.
The Feral Pig Program was delivered from October 2023 to June 2024 and built on previous feral pig control activities that LLS coordinated with landholders across the state in 2022-2023.
Final progress update: July 2024
Achievements: October 2023 to June 2024
Figures current as of 30 June 2024 and only relate to activities funded by the 2023-2024 Feral Pig Program.
Highlights of the work completed include:
- Engagement
- 10,325 consultations with land managers for feral pig management
- 96 awareness events across the state with 1,746 participants
- 335 landholders surveyed as part of impacts monitoring
- Feral Fighters
- 223 participants at 21 free Vertebrate Pesticide Induction Training (VPIT) courses held in person
- 199,886 kg free bait issued
- 231,870 kg free feed grain provided to 1,392 landholders, protecting 4,193,471 hectares protected through the Feral Fighters initiative
- Ground control
- 13,546 feral pigs culled through coordinated trapping programs
- 1,326 properties participating
- 1,679,270 hectares protected through ground control
- Aerial control
- 99,342 feral pigs controlled during 49 FAAST aerial control programs
- 4,657 properties participating
- 8,994,776 hectares protected through aerial control.
LLS coordinated aerial feral pig control activities 2022-24 and Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development feral pig density and distribution 2023.
Statistics for October 2023 to June 2024 relate to activities funded by the 2023-2024 Feral Pig Program. LLS has further feral pig management activities underway that are not reported as part of this funding which have removed an additional 20,755 feral pigs.
Read the complete July 2024 progress update PDF, 2624.27 KB.
Download the previous progress updates:
Find out more about managing feral pigs on your property.
How did the program support landholders?
The Feral Pig Program supported landholders in reducing feral pig populations and the impacts on their property, with LLS:
- boosting regional control programs through 49 planned aerial shooting campaigns across the state plus additional ground control programs
- delivering 117 capacity building and training events to equip landholders with the latest tools and advice to continue actively managing pest animals on their property
- providing free VPIT courses online and face-to-face at a number of locations around the state
- fully subsidising the cost of 1080 poison to eligible landholders (conditions applied) to help control feral pigs.
Landholders also had the opportunity to learn about new technologies being used in pest animal control, gain accreditation to use restricted chemical products and gain a broader understanding of the feral pig problem.
The Feral Pig Program’s landscape scale aerial shooting and ground control activities target areas where there are known high populations of feral pigs, significant impacts had been reported and landholders were actively involved in coordinated pest animal management.
Coordinated, integrated control programs were undertaken across both private and public land, with biosecurity officers and landholders working side by side.
What is a landscape control zone?
Landscape control zones are large scale targeted feral pig control areas across the state with known high feral pig populations, reported impacts on agricultural and environmental assets and areas where there are existing landholder control efforts.
A successful example of a landscape control zone is the Western Riverina Pest Project (WRPP) located across the Riverina and Western LLS regions. Over 3 years, more than 43,000 pigs were removed from the 1.4 million hectare WRPP project area, reducing population density from a peak of 11.2 pigs per square kilometre down to 0.88.
Where were the landscape control zones?
The 3 priority landscape control zones included the following areas:
- at the intersecting boundaries of Riverina, Western and Central West LLS regions adjacent to the Lachlan River
- east of Gilgandra and the Newell Highway, north of Dunedoo, west of Coolah, south of Coonabarabran within the Central West LLS boundary
- Lower Gwydir River sub-catchment west of Moree, east of Collarenebri within the North West LLS region.
What did the NSW Feral Pig Coordinator do?
As a key part of this role the Feral Pig Coordinator engaged with both private and public land managers to develop strategies to improve participation in feral pig control programs.
This meant working closely with public land managers, government agencies and landholder groups, ensuring as many people as possible participated in coordinated control programs and played their part in tackling feral pigs.
The Coordinator collaborated with LLS regional staff and government stakeholders, including NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services, Forestry Corporation and NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to design and implement best practice integrated feral pig control programs across tenures, including monitoring systems to measure impacts.
The Coordinator was also responsible for coordinating effective program reporting to demonstrate the success and impact of control programs across the state.
How do I get involved in feral pig and pest control?
The more landholders taking part in control programs, the more successful we will be at reducing feral pig and pest numbers and protecting farming operations.
To get involved in the new Feral Pig and Pest Program 2024-2025 or find out what activities are happening in your area, call 1300 795 299 and ask to speak with your local biosecurity officer.
How do I find out more?
Visit our Feral Pig and Pest Program for more information on the support available under the new 2024-2025 program.
For tailored advice on pest animal management to suit your property, call 1300 795 299 to speak with your local biosecurity officer who has the expertise to help.
Find out more about managing feral pigs on your property.
Resources
- NSW Budget: $946 million for biosecurity protection
- Media release: $13 million Feral Pig Program delivering results
- Media release: NSW Government leaving feral pigs with nowhere to hide
- Media release: New $13 million program has feral pigs in its crosshairs
- Management of feral pigs.