The policy change was designed to expedite support for privatising state owned power stations
The NSW government did not attempt to hide the fact that the policy to allow hunting in NSW National Parks was initiated to secure the votes of the Shooters and Fishers party for the privatization of power infrastructure in NSW. The policy changes did not happen in response to a call from the community.

Watch and hear Mr O'Farrells Promise last year to not allow hunting in National Parks

Hunting in Nationals Parks FAQ

1) What is happening?

On the 27th June 2012 the NSW government passed an Act that will allow recreational shooters to hunt feral animals in our national parks, once program details are finalised. Hunting in some reserves may occur as early as summer 2012. Recreational shooting has been allowed on NSW public land (in State Forests) since 2006. more....

2) Where will recreational hunting be allowed?

Which national parks recreational shooting can occur in is at the discretion of the NSW Minister for Environment and Heritage. This means that a lot of our 779 reserves are vulnerable to being opened to hunting. more...

3) Is it true shooters have nowhere else to shoot?

NO! Shooting in NSW State Forests has been occurring since 2006. There are fewer visitors to state forests than national parks, so it makes sense to keep things as they have been considering how much it will cost to run supporting programs and that recreational shooting isn’t a primary contributor to reducing feral animal species. Shooting also occurs on private land in NSW.

4) Allowing recreational hunting will be good for the environment, won’t it?

Allowing recreational hunting into our national parks has been justified by politicians as a way of reducing feral animal populations, therefore helping our environment. However, there is strong evidence that volunteer hunting is not an effective method of feral animal control. The program will take resources away from the professional pest control programs managed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. more...

5) What are the impacts on public safety?

Unions have voiced their serious concern for the safety of both National Parks and Wildlife Service staff and members of the public. There have been a number of deaths due to hunting accidents reported in the media in areas outside of NSW where hunting is already allowed. more...

6) Using recreational hunters will save NSW money, won’t it?

NO! The Game Council and other pro-hunting groups often state that volunteer hunting provides savings to the public or is a free resource, as hunters pay all their own costs for hunting trips. However, there are a number of costs associated with recreational hunting that aren’t immediately apparent, and these mean that it is not a free resource for controlling feral animals.

The design and management of the program by NPWS and the administration of licensing by the NSW Game Council takes away taxpayers’ money from the budget. This money would be better spent helping the National Parks and Wildlife Service build on its existing integrated, strategic, whole of government feral animal management programs.

As outlined in Question 4, recreational hunting isn’t the most effective way of getting rid of feral animals either!more...

7) Is shooting already allowed in national parks?

The government states that ground shooting, along with other methods including as trapping, baiting, mustering, biological control, exclusion fencing and aerial shooting, occurs from time to time in most national parks in the State as part of an integrated program.
The NSW Government has voted in a very different, additional program for national parks that will use voluntary, recreational hunters who have been granted a restricted licence through the Game Council. more...

8) Can we expect hunting to expand in the future?

There is strong pressure to expand recreational hunting further in NSW. A number of additional bills and regulations have been proposed this year, including a bill to allow duck hunting and a regulation allowing 12-year-olds to hunt unsupervised. more...

9) Who allowed this to happen?

These changes that make our national parks and other reserves all vulnerable to being opened up to recreational hunting were voted through in the Upper House of NSW Parliament.

The parties that voted for the changes (20 votes) were:

• NSW Liberal Party
• NSW National Party
• Shooters and Fishers Party
• Christian Democratic party (Fred Nile Group)

Those who voted to stop it from happening (17 votes) were:

• NSW ALP
• NSW Greens

10) When does this all start?

From March 2013, the program that allows recreational hunting to take place in our national parks and other reserves will commence. more...

11) Is it safe?

Absolutely not! The NSW Government's own risk assessment clearly outlines that recreational hunting in national parks is a major risk for park usersmore...