The following information has been provided to me by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and is designed to inform people about the upcoming park closures in Kosciuszko. At the bottom of the page you will find buttons linking to the two maps detailing the areas which will be closed off.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me via my office in Queanbeyan on 02 6299 4899 or via email at [email protected].
National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is conducting several major feral animal control programs in Kosciuszko National Park during 2024. Aerial and ground shooting programs will target horses, deer, pigs and other feral animals. These important conservation programs are essential to protect the park’s threatened native species and ecosystems.
For the safety of visitors and staff, some sections of the park will be closed temporarily while aerial shooting is conducted. This is common practice for all feral animal aerial shooting operations across NSW. Extended closures will be required in some areas.
Closure areas and dates
The following areas will be temporarily closed to the public:
- Southern block (see attached map) temporarily closed 4 - 28 March 2024
- Northern block (see attached map) temporarily closed 4 April - 4 October 2024 (this includes the usual winter closure period from June long weekend).
All tracks, trails, campgrounds, huts, picnic areas and accommodation nodes within the closure areas are closed to the public during the specified period, other than:
- all campgrounds along the Barry Way remain open in the southern block
- Kiandra courthouse and Delaneys Hut remain open in the northern block.
Other short-term closures may occur during the year for additional control programs. For all park closure details and updates go to www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/alerts
Visiting the park during control operations
NPWS recognises that these closures will affect visitation to some areas of the park and aims to minimise impacts to popular visitor areas. The majority of the park will be open for visitors to enjoy. Access to key visitor areas including Mt Kosciuszko, alpine resorts, Yarrangobilly Caves and sections of the recently completed Snowies Alpine Walk are not affected. Resort precincts are not impacted by closures.
Visitors with impacted campground bookings will be notified and full refunds made.
For the latest information about things to see and do in Kosciuszko National Park go to www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/kosciuszko-national-park
Protecting park visitors and the environment
NPWS has robust plans to protect the environment and park visitors during and after aerial shooting including:
- temporary park closures
- notifications to neighbours and park visitors
- removal of carcasses, where practicable, when close to sensitive locations such as waterways and popular visitor locations.
- targeted, additional monitoring and control of feral pigs, foxes and wild dogs.
Taking urgent action to reduce the wild horse population
There is an urgent need to reduce the wild horse population in Kosciuszko National Park. Horses are having a severe impact on the natural, cultural, and recreational values of the park. There is clear scientific evidence that threatened species and park values are at risk from wild horses, and extinction is a genuine and clear prospect for some species.
Aerial shooting will enable NPWS to meet the legal population target of 3,000 wild horses in the park by July 2027. Delaying control is not an option as it will mean continued unacceptable damage to the park and its threatened species, and more horses will ultimately need to be controlled.
Ensuring the best animal welfare outcomes
Aerial shooting is carried out by NPWS to the highest animal welfare standards consistent with all legislative requirements and informed by independent advice from expert, published scientists with veterinary qualifications.
A short preliminary aerial shooting program in November 2023 validated the standard operating procedures used by NPWS for aerial shooting of wild horses, ensuring these procedures lead to the best possible animal welfare outcomes. The program was observed and monitored by independent veterinarians. A report on the outcomes of this observation, along with outcomes of the is available at www.environment.nsw.gov.au/wildhorses
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation while we conduct this vital work to protect the park. Please email the wild horse team with any inquiries at [email protected]
