‘Short answer is no’: NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe’s call on ‘Brumby World’Nathan SchmidtNewsWireFri, 29 August 2025 12:23PM
NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe has made a blunt assessment of a proposal to establish a “Brumby World” tourism centre in the Snowy Mountains.
A recent report by the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service found the number of brumbies could be as low as 1579 at Kosciuszko under a Coalition-era management plan.
Population control measures, which include aerial shooting, are controversial among proponents of the feral horses that wildlife experts warn will wreck the alpine ecosystem.
Libertarian Party MLC John Ruddick asked Ms Sharpe during budget estimates if she’d back proposals out of Victoria’s East Gippsland for a “Brumby Tourism Centre”.
“The short answer is no,” Ms Sharpe said.
Mr Ruddick had suggested the possibility of setting aside a large area for a “Brumby World” tourist attraction.”Is that something that you think the government may be wanting to sort of encourage to take place?” he asked.
“At least we could preserve some of the brumbies, which, as we all know, there’s a lot of people out there that have a deep affection for them.”
Ms Sharpe acknowledged the “importance of brumbies” in the culture of the region and said the government was not seeking to have them all removed from the park.
“The argument that has been is about whether horses should be in the park and obviously that’s kind of now being resolved in some ways,” she said.
“There is no intention to eradicate all of the horses from the national park. We’re working out of the horse management plan, and that’s what we’ve been doing.”
As for the idea of a tourism attraction, Ms Sharpe said “there was nothing stopping anyone from doing that”.
“It will not be somewhat thing that we would do within the national park. I can be very clear about that,” she said.
“But, you know, if people want to pursue that, that’s fine … Maybe what you’re talking about is a trail where people could actually go and have a look.”
Independent Wagga Wagga MP Joe McGirr introduced a Bill to parliament in June to scrap the so-called Brumby Bill.
Known as the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act, the measure was introduced by former deputy premier John Barilaro and recognised the “heritage” value of the horses.
It also mandated the brumby population be reduced to 3000 by 2027.
Dr McGirr said the horses caused major damage to the alpine landscape, trampling wetlands and destroying habitat.
“It makes no sense to continue with a law that effectively requires that damage to continue,” he said.
“It is time to reverse a wrong of the past and give the fragile high-country environment a chance to recover from years of degradation.”
Originally published as ‘Short answer is no’: NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe’s call on ‘Brumby World’
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