NSW Agriculture Minister Defends Feral Pig Cull Penalties During Walgett Visit Amid Threats

NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty made her first trip to Walgett since receiving hostile online messages over a planned feral pig eradication pilot. She defended the program’s non-compliance penalties—up to $220,000 for individuals and $440,000 for corporations—asserting that landholders who deliberately refuse to take part would be failing their neighbours and the region. During the visit she met a newly created advisory group comprising the mayor, agricultural leaders and officials from Local Land Services, Crown Lands and National Parks.

Moriarty said consultation will continue until October, with the pilot slated to launch in November, and that participants can negotiate arrangements such as helicopter timing or demonstrate active pig control to count as participation. She also noted that government-owned lands will be held to the same standards. Local officials, including Mayor Jasen Ramien and farmer Cameron Rowntree, expressed growing confidence in the scheme, stressing its necessity for protecting livestock and crops over several years.