May 29, 2026
Queensland Senator Susan McDonald has called for urgent action to cull the growing number of feral pigs which are causing millions of dollars of damage to farms.
She said 15 million feral pigs needed to be culled every year just to keep overall numbers static.
Senator McDonald said feral pigs were tearing through farms, waterways and wetlands, causing devastation for producers who were already under enormous pressure.
She used Senate Estimates this week to ask the Federal Government about what action was being taken to tackle the exploding feral pig population, warning it could not continue to ignore the growing crisis.
Senator McDonald said current estimates suggested there were up to 26 million feral pigs across Australia, with experts say about 70 per cent of the population must be removed to reduce numbers.
“Australia’s feral pig crisis is spiralling out of control. Every day governments delay meaningful action, the infestation grows and the damage compounds,” the LNP Senator said.
“Across Australia, producers are watching crops destroyed overnight, fencing ripped apart, water systems contaminated and native habitats obliterated.
“These pests breed rapidly, spread disease and cause untold devastation to agriculture and the environment, yet regional Australians are being left to fight this battle largely on their own.
“The Environment Department’s blame game simply doesn’t stack up.
“They spend billions on the reef and impose strict regulations on farmers to reduce sediment run-off, yet when it comes to this issue they suddenly claim it’s ‘not an environmental problem’ and tell producers to take it up with the Agriculture Department.”
