SU NSW president Tony Gavan has been meeting with the office of NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe to push for an expansion of hunting areas in the state, including in parts of some National Parks.

While saying there were no plans to open National Parks to recreational hunting, Ms Sharpe did observe there were opportunities to cull feral animals there via the Supplementary Pest Control program, which involves “very strict controls and risk assessments” as part of its operation. 

Ms Sharpe also said in a letter to SUNSW that “I am happy to consider potential ways that licensed shooters can be involved in feral animal control on other kinds of land tenure into the future and my office will be in touch into the future.”

We are grateful to Ms Sharpe’s office for making the time to meet with our representatives on multiple occasions, and her commitment to genuine engagement with shooters.