Object to changes to the regulation of hunting in NSW

The NSW Government is reviewing the regulations on hunting in New South Wales. This is important legislation because it manages compliance and enforcement. This is our opportunity to provide informed public feedback on behalf of wild animals in NSW. 

Public submissions close 11:59pm on Tuesday 12 July.

The NSW Government regulates the hunting of animals on private and public land because it acknowledges that these activities have inherent risks and can have negative impacts on human safety, animal welfare and native species. The Game and Feral Animal Control Regulation is the primary legislation that regulates these risks and impacts. 

The regulations are due for repeal in September 2022. The NSW Government has identified three possible outcomes of this repeal: remaking the regulations or allowing them to lapse. If they are allowed to lapse, hunting in NSW could become self-regulated. While the NSW Government intends to remake the regulations, and some proposed changes are welcome, others make it easier to kill wild animals, increase risks, and exacerbate impacts. 

Under the proposed regulations, it would be possible for young people to begin hunting earlier. It would allow:

• a person under 16 years old to hunt under the supervision of an 18-year-old

• a person as young as 12 years old to hunt animals with a gun

• people between 16 and 18 years old to hunt animals with bows and dogs without adult supervision.

Other changes to the regulations would reduce existing penalties. These include:

• reducing the penalty for owners whose dogs do not wear a collar with their contact details by over 60%

• reducing the penalty for hunters who don’t wear bright safety colours when hunting on public land by over 80%

• reducing the penalty for hunters who conduct target practice on public land by over 80%

Other parts of the proposed changes are significant. Key is the NSW Government’s proposal to remove the Hunter’s Code of Practice from the legislation. The Code of Practice is important. Under the existing Regulations, the provisions of the Code are mandatory; all hunters are obliged to adhere to them. One of the most important requirements is an obligation to avoid animal suffering. The regulatory impact statement published by the NSW Government acknowledges the importance of the Code of Practice because its provisions “reduce the risk of negative impacts for human safety and animal welfare”. Despite this, the NSW Government intends to remove the Code of Practice from the new regulations.

Fill out your details to send an informed public objection and we strongly encourage you to tailor your submission to have a greater personal impact.