The Supplementary Pest Control (SPC) Program supports National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) feral animal control, with skilled volunteers assisting NPWS staff on priority programs across the state.

Feral animals pose one of the greatest threats to Australia’s biodiversity. In New South Wales, over 350 native species, populations and ecological communities face threats from feral animal predation and activity (NSW BioNet Threatened Species Profile Dataset 2024).

With NSW national parks providing access to nature and contributing to tourism and economies, feral animals can also pose significant economic and wellbeing risks.

The NPWS Feral animal management strategy outlines the strategic, risk-based approach NPWS takes to determining feral animal management actions required to achieve conservation and biosecurity outcomes. The SPC Program supports implementation of priority control programs guided by the strategy.

Target species

The SPC Program targets a range of invasive species, including:

  • feral pigs
  • feral goats
  • feral cats
  • wild dogs
  • foxes
  • feral deer
  • rabbits
  • hares.
  • Eight black feral pigs scramble out of a lagoon, leaving muddy holes and trampled vegetation behind them
    Pig damage to a lagoon.
    Credit: DCCEEW
    Pig damage to a lagoon
  • Two reddish brown adult pigs and several piglets disturb the ground in a wetland surrounded by forest
    Pig damage to a wetland.
    Credit: DCCEEW
    Pig damage to a wetland
  • A fox carrying a small creature in its mouth climbs a snowy hillside dotted with trees
    A fox with prey in its mouth.
    Credit: DCCEEW
    A fox with prey in its mouth
  • A large brown and white goat with prominent horns stands in a dry, rocky landscape among dead shrubs
    Browsing damage caused by goats.
    Credit: DCCEEW
    Browsing damage caused by goats
  • A series of grass trees pruned back to their trunks in an open forest on a hill
    Goat browsing damage to grass trees (Xanthorrhoea sp).
    Credit: DCCEEW
    Goat browsing damage to grass trees (Xanthorrhoea sp)
  • A collection of healthy grass trees growing in a eucalypt forest
    Recovery of grass trees (Xanthorrhoea sp) from goat damage 3 years later.
    Credit: DCCEEW
    Recovery of grass trees (Xanthorrhoea sp) from goat damage 3 years later

Volunteer training and standards

Volunteers participating in the SPC Program are required to meet rigorous training standards equivalent to those of NPWS staff authorised to use firearms. This includes:

  • holding a valid firearms licence
  • completing accredited firearms and humane animal destruction training
  • demonstrating proficiency in map reading and navigation
  • holding current first aid certification
  • undergoing induction in work health and safety (WHS) principles.

The program has proven effective in delivering NPWS shooting operations across diverse environments and complex sites while ensuring the safety of participants and the public.

Park alerts and notifications

Prior to any ground shooting operations, NPWS provides public notifications about park or reserve closures on its website. Visitors are advised to check the latest alerts before entering any NPWS reserves.

For updates, please refer to Alerts for NSW national parks.

Get involved or contact us

To get involved, you can contact the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) in New South Wales by emailing [email protected].

If you would like more information on a national park near you, go to find a park.

If you have a comment or concern about a park, you can contact NPWS at Contact us.