Chapter 1Introduction
1.1On 9 February 2023, the Senate referred the impacts and management of feral horses in the Australian Alps to the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee (the committee) for inquiry and report initially by 9June2023, with the following terms of reference:
(a)identifying best practice approaches to reduce the populations of feral horses in the Australian Alps and their impact on:
(i)biodiversity, including threatened and endangered species and ecological communities listed under Commonwealth, state or territory law,
(ii)the ecological health of the Australian Alps national parks and reserves,
(iii)Indigenous cultural heritage, and
(iv)the headwaters of the Murray, Murrumbidgee, Snowy and Cotter Rivers, including their hydrology, water holding capacity, water quality, habitat integrity and species diversity;
(b)Commonwealth powers and responsibilities, including:
(i)the protection of matters of national environmental significance under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, including listed threatened species and communities and the National Heritage listed Australian Alps national parks and reserves,
(ii)obligations under international treaties, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, and
(iii)the commitment to prevent new extinctions under the threatened species action plan;
(c)the adequacy of state and territory laws, policies, programs and funding for control of feral horses and other hard-hoofed invasive species in the Australian Alps, and their interaction with Commonwealth laws and responsibilities;
(d)measures required to repair and restore native habitats for species impacted by feral horses and other hard-hoofed invasive species in the Australian Alps, including for iconic species like the corroboree frog and the platypus; and
(e)any other related matters.
1.2In June 2023, the Senate granted an extension of time to report to 29September2023.
Conduct of the inquiry
1.3The committee advertised the inquiry on its webpage, and wrote to various organisations and individuals to invite submissions by 11 April 2023. This date was extended to 28 April 2023.
1.4The committee received 801 submissions, which are listed at Appendix 1.
1.5Public hearings were held in Canberra on 23 August and 7 September 2023. A list of witnesses who gave evidence at the hearings is available at Appendix 2.
1.6The committee intended to undertake a field inspection of impacted and unimpacted sites in Kosciuszko National Park but was unable to due to dangerous weather conditions on the day. The committee thanks the NSW Government for its assistance in planning the field inspection, and notes the large amount of work that went into the flight plan and itinerary. The committee also thanks the NSW Government for providing photographs and video footage of the area. A selection of the photographs have been used in this report.
1.7Evidence received by the committee can be found on its website. This includes Hansard transcripts of evidence from hearings, tabled documents, answers to questions on notice, and public submissions.
Acknowledgements
1.8The committee would like to thank those individuals, institutions and organisations that made submissions to the inquiry, as well as all witnesses who provided evidence at public hearings.
1.9The committee particularly acknowledges the valuable work of the staff of state and territory managed national parks. Staff of these agencies have received serious threats and abuse for carrying out their valuable work. The committee thanks all staff who conduct this important work, and thanks representatives who willingly gave evidence through submissions or appearing before the committee.
Terminology
1.10The committee has used the term ‘feral horse’ throughout this report, to reflect the terminology in the inquiry terms of reference and to match the terminology used by the Commonwealth, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) governments.
1.11The committee acknowledges that advocates for the presence of feral horses in the Australian Alps use the term ‘brumby’ or ‘wild horse’, and that the relevant NSW state legislation uses the term ‘wild horse’.
1.12The Federal Court of Australia has noted that the term ‘wild horse’ is inaccurate, as that term is used to describe horses that have never been domesticated, such as Przewalski's horse (native to the steppes of Central Asia).
Structure of the report
1.13This chapter provides details on the referral and administration of the inquiry.
1.14Chapter 2 provides background information, including information on the Australian Alps and an overview of feral horses in Australia.
1.15Chapter 3 considers the impacts of feral horses on the natural environment, and discusses the observed detrimental impacts. This chapter also sets out the impact on Indigenous cultural heritage.
1.16Chapter 4 sets out advocate views for the retention of feral horses, and references to feral horses in Australia’s written culture.
1.17Chapter 5 discusses best practice management strategies for the effective control and removal of feral horses in the Australian Alps.
1.18Chapter 6 sets out the role of the Australian Government in managing and protecting the Australian Alps.
1.19Chapter 7 sets out the committee’s view, and makes recommendations.