Feral Pig and Pest Program 2025–26

Local Land Services is delivering this program to support landholders to control feral pigs and pest animals to reduce the impacts on their property's agricultural and environmental assets.

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The Feral Pig and Pest Program, delivered by Local Land Services (LLS) on behalf of the NSW Government has been extended to June 2026.

The program builds on the success of the 2023-24 Feral Pig Program and the 2024-25 Feral Pig and Pest Program, and other control activities LLS has coordinated with landholders across the state in previous years.

Every landholder has a General Biosecurity Duty to reduce risks caused by pest animals. This program supports landholders to take action to prevent, eliminate or minimise pest animals and their impact. 

Objectives

Support landholders in controlling feral pigs and pest animals.

Reduce the impacts of feral pigs and pest animals on agricultural and environmental assets.

Build landholder capability in feral pig and other pest animal management.

Build workforce capability to support pest animal control and coordination.

Two people standing behind a net trap with trees in the background

Project delivery

Key activities of the Feral Pig and Pest Program include:

  • coordinated broadscale control programs targeting feral pigs and other priority pest animal species in key locations across the state to support existing landholder driven programs
  • providing land managers with the knowledge, skills and support to implement control programs on their land
  • promoting and employing best practice management techniques to control feral pigs and reduce their impacts
  • educating landholders in their General Biosecurity Duty responsibilities related to managing pest animals under the Biosecurity Act 2015
  • engaging  and supporting landholders to participate in coordinated control programs
  • maintaining a trained biosecurity workforce with the skills, experience and capacity to assist landholders to manage invasive species
  • continuing the role of the NSW State Feral Pig Coordinator to lead and coordinate the program
  • continuing localised monitoring programs of feral pigs and other priority pest animal species
  • providing free grain and 1080 poison to eligible landholders for feral pig control programs.

Support for landholders

Vertebrate Pesticide Induction Training

Free VPIT courses available online and face-to-face at locations across NSW.

Capacity building events

Get the skills and advice you need to actively manage pest animals.

Feral pig control

Watch our video series to learn about trapping, baiting and pest animal behaviour.

Subsidised bait

Eligible landholders can access free grain and 1080 poison for feral pig control programs (conditions may apply).

Farmers gathered around a net trap for pest animal control with buildings and trees in the background
Landholders discussing the use of different trap designs at a workshop in Tabulam. 

Get involved

Landholder participation in control programs is essential. The more landholders taking part in control programs, the more successful we will be in reducing pest animal numbers and impacts, protecting farming operations and the environment.

Local Land Services biosecurity officers can:

  • provide tailored advice on pest animal management
  • connect you to the latest tools, training and events
  • provide free loan of traps and trapping equipment to trial before you purchase your own
  • help you understand your General Biosecurity Duty obligations
  • assist in coordinating group programs with your neighbours.

Call 1300 795 299

Work underway

Local Land Services is currently offering co-ordinated control programs, training opportunities, free grain, bait and loaning of equipment to help manage feral pigs and pest animals. Land managers can complete the Feral Pig and Pests Impact Survey to help shape ongoing support.

Progress updates

January 2026

NSW Vertebrate Pest Management Symposium

LLS staff from across NSW attended the 2025 NSW Vertebrate Pest Management Symposium.

The symposium brings together other agencies and public land managers to share:

  • new technologies
  • pest management practices
  • approaches to tackle challenges in vertebrate pest control.

LLS staff from five regions presented insights on:

  • successful community-driven approaches to effective pest animal management
  • examples of achievements when landholders work together for pest control
  • how relationships, clear communication and tailored program design help build long‑term engagement
  • success with delivering lasting, community-led biosecurity outcomes.
A group of people sitting down at a conference listening to a presentation.

Success and support – incentives helping landholders

Near Gilgandra in Central West NSW, landholder Stuart is successfully managing the impacts of feral pigs on his property.

Stuart took action after noticing rooting damage in his pasture.

The free grain and bait offer from the Feral Pig and Pest Program 2025–26 ensured enough grain for the vital free-feeding period before baiting. This conditioned feral pigs to the food source.

LLS also supported the program by loaning a camera, which Stuart used to monitor the uptake of grain, to confirm non-target species weren’t feeding, and track feral pig mob sizes to calculate the right amount of bait.

A week after baiting, the camera showed only a small number of feral pigs still active in the area. Reinforcing the need to follow up and use a combination of control techniques for best results.

“Since completing this program, I’ve seen less crop and pasture damage. In past years, we’ve also had higher lambing rates after control programs,” said Stuart.

“We’ll keep monitoring for signs of pigs and maintain control efforts, so numbers don’t bounce back.”

A group of feral pigs gathered around a fence on a farm at night.
October 2025

Local Land Services support for landholders to manage the damaging impact of feral pigs and pest animals has continued into this year's Feral Pig and Pest Program. 

People observing feral pig traps in a grassy rural area during an outdoor event.

Hunter landholders take action

Hunter Local Land Services recently ran two events in Denman and Broke to help landholders deal with feral pigs, which can cause serious damage to farms and the environment.

Practical advice

Biosecurity officers shared practical advice on approved control methods in NSW, including:

  • baiting with 1080 and Hoggone
  • trapping
  • ground and aerial shooting
  • humane destruction techniques.

Understanding feral pigs

Presentations explained:

  • feral pig biology and behaviour
  • how to choose the right control methods based on pig activity
  • how to use FeralScan to:
    • record sightings
    • plan control efforts
    • work with neighbours for coordinated action.

Hands-on learning

Participants took part in practical demonstrations for:

  • trap designs
  • bait dispensers.

These sessions helped landholders prepare for their own control programs.

Ongoing support

Many landholders have already started using these strategies on their properties. Local Land Services staff continue to provide support to make sure control programs are effective and safe.

July 2025
A group of aboriginal people stand out the front of a building.

Protecting country and culture

First Nations’ rangers undertook Vertebrate Pesticide Induction Training in the Northern Tablelands.

Training workshops were hosted on a property owned by the Glen Innes Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) and at Walcha, adding a meaningful connection to the land and the cultural context of the area.

Vertebrate pests can have significant impacts on both the environment and traditional practices. Aboriginal knowledge provides unique ways to address the pest animal issue in a culturally mindful way.

People hold silicone molds of pig trotter tracks to look at.

Building capacity at workshops and meetings

From practical workshops and meetings, to displays at field events, Local Land Services are prioritising opportunities to provide landholders with up-to-date information on the most effective control techniques, new equipment and the best ways to implement control.

For some landholders, feral pigs are a new issue, whereas, in other areas, feral pigs are an historic pest. Regardless of experience level, refreshing landholders’ skills and listening to how others are managing pest animals, are helping farmers gain the confidence to tackle pig control effectively.

Offering free online and in person Vertebrate Pesticide Induction Training has also supported landholders to undertake control. 

Net trap with feral pigs caught inside.

Working with industry to reduce disease risk

Feral pigs pose a significant disease risk to livestock and humans, as carriers and transmitters of diseases like leptospirosis, brucellosis (brucella suis) and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV).

Domestic piggeries are highly susceptible to disease spread and have been proactively working with their neighbours and Murray Local Land Services to participate in control programs, helping reduce the biosecurity risk to their production system. As well as actively controlling the pests, Rivalea Australia’s veterinarians are taking blood samples from the culled feral pigs for disease surveillance. 

Results from the July 2024- June 2025 program:

  • 9,369 landholders participated in coordinated aerial and ground-based control programs, protecting over 18 million hectares
  • controlled 83,207 feral pigs and 15,576 deer through 41 aerial control programs and coordinated ground-based control programs across the state
  • issued 196,490 kg of free 1080 baited grain, with a further 395,464 kg of clean grain supplied free to landholders to support trapping and baiting programs
  • local biosecurity officers provided 38,582 one-on-one consultations with land managers for best practice pest animal management
  • hosted 106 awareness raising and training events across the state to equip landholders with skills and knowledge for ongoing effective pest animal control
  • 1,715 participants in free online Vertebrate Pesticide Induction Training (VPIT) and 220 participants at 18 courses held in person
  • monitoring initiatives to capture population estimates and impacts
  • 298 landholders completed the feral pig impacts survey to capture valuable insights for future management.

These statistics for July 2024 to June 2025 relate to activities funded by the 2024-25 Feral Pig and Pest Program. Local Land Services has further pest management activities not reported as part of this funding. 

April 2025

Throughout the summer, Local Land Services through the Feral Pig and Pest Program 2024-2025 continued to support landholders in protecting important assets such as crops, pastures, livestock and wetlands. This was achieved through targeted trapping, baiting and aerial control programs to remove feral pigs and pest animals from the environment.

While drier conditions in some parts of the state aided control near water sources, other areas continued to experience favourable seasonal conditions, providing abundant feed and water that supports feral pigs breeding.

“Feral pigs are a devastatingly efficient pest, damaging and ruining crops, pasture and water sources.”

Livestock and cropping farmer Peter Campbell is working with his Western Hunter neighbours in a pest control group.

“We use baiting, trapping and shooting control methods and Local Land Services have been fantastic in supporting us through that process.”

“Driving the headers into paddocks known for heavy pig populations, we saw a significant decrease in feral pig activity and an increase in yields across the grains.”

Key results from July 2024 to March 2025

Engagement

  • 24,526 consultations with land managers for pest animal management
  • 76 awareness events across the state with 1,197 participants
  • 164 landholders surveyed as part of impacts monitoring
  • 1,238 participants completed free Vertebrate Pesticide Induction Training (VPIT) courses held online and 170 participants at 12 courses in person.

Ground control

  • 7,672 feral pigs controlled through coordinated ground control programs  
  • 2,172 properties participating  
  • 4,461,208 hectares protected through ground control
  • 96,529 kg free bait issued to landholders on 954 instances
  • 161,020 kg free grain supplied to 829 landholders for trapping programs.  

Aerial control  

  • 53,082 feral pigs and 8,654 deer controlled during 25 aerial control programs  
  • 1,767 properties participating  
  • 5,045,554 hectares protected through aerial control.

These statistics for July 2024 to March 2025 relate to activities funded by the 2024-25 Feral Pig and Pest Program. Local Land Services has further pest management activities not reported as part of this funding. 

January 2025

Engagement

  • 14,716 consultations with land managers for pest animal management
  • 36 awareness events across the state with 649 participants
  • 140 landholders surveyed as part of impacts monitoring
  • 725 participants at free VPIT courses held online
  • 53 participants at 5 face-to-face VPIT courses.

Ground control

  • 3,805 feral pigs controlled through coordinated ground control programs
  • 1,381 properties participating
  • 2,599,488 hectares protected through ground control
  • 61,528 kg free bait issued to landholders on 647 instances
  • 78,960 kg free feed grain supplied to 407 landholders for trapping programs.

Aerial control

  • 14 aerial control programs
  • 1,295 properties participating
  • 1,434,659 hectares protected through aerial control
  • 29,253 feral pigs controlled
  • 5,918 deer controlled.
October 2024

Tailored support

Trained local biosecurity officers across NSW are providing free one-on-one consultations with landholders for pest animal management. From advice on effective control methods, to coordinating across neighbouring boundaries, biosecurity officers are working with land managers to deliver aerial and ground control programs.

Practical workshops 

Free awareness and capacity building events are rolling out across the state to provide landholders with the latest skills and knowledge in pest animal control. Training sessions may include identifying signs, control techniques and trapping demonstrations. 

Vertebrate Pesticide Induction Training

Landholders have the opportunity to complete free VPIT training to gain the accreditation needed to use pesticides to control vertebrate pest animals. Face-to-face courses are offered in different locations or training can be done online at any time.

Equipment 

LLS is providing equipment on loan to eligible landholders to help them carry out control programs on their property. Depending on availability, resources range from cameras for monitoring to different styles of traps for feral animals.

Feral Pig and Pest Impacts Survey

Are you a rural land manager?
Complete this annual survey on the impact that feral pigs and pests have had on your property.
Your responses will help us and you better manage the problem, by capturing changes to feral pigs impacts and control effort over time. 

Hear more from landholders who have received support from Local Land Services and are having success with their feral pig and pest control methods.

Central Tablelands beef farmer Nic Job was better able to control feral pig numbers with new techniques and access to free grain, trap and camera hire.
 

4:16

Feral pig management case study: Royalla Shorthorn Beef, Yeoval

When feral pigs first moved into the Yeoval area in the late 2000s, they were at first a novelty in the countryside.

Read transcript
Video transcript

Feral pig management case study: Royalla Shorthorn Beef, Yeoval

Nic Job from Royalla Shorthorns.

We run a shorthorn operation in conjunction with my parents.

I moved out here from another property in 2000.

For the first few years, we didn't see any pigs at all.

And it probably 12, 12, 15 years ago, we started to see a couple of pigs, and then the numbers have just gradually increased, and now we're seeing big numbers.

Initially it was a bit of a novelty because we’d not seen them.

But that that lasted for bit two days.

Then I went straight in trying to control them.

We're starting to see a lot of poachers trying to come in on the property without permission.

And that's becoming a nearly as bigger issue as the pigs, in terms of we'll find gates not only opened, but gates pulled away and taken back.

You know, some of the bulls on this place worth over $60,000.

And if you get if you get two bulls that the gates are open, they get in joining each other.

You can have broken legs and worse.

My name's James Moses.

I'm a Biosecurity Officer at Molong, which is part of the Local Land Services of the Central Tablelands.

So we first working with Nic with supplying traps, cameras and grain, just to get him started.

He was having trouble with pigs in one of these back paddocks.

And just worked in with him with a few different techniques that he hadn't tried before with his previous trapping.

just to help him really get that good result when he did set the traps.

You know, we've used LLS traps and LLS, we've tried baiting stations from the LLS.

We were in contact with James fairly often and to try and see different methods and, and keep on top of the problem.

The guys I work with a great.

So yeah, we've had really good communication with them.

Prior to that, it was just, you know, on our own, trying to do what we could, you know, casually take a dog out and try and catch some or shoot them and things like that, but that, that wasn't getting on top of the problem.

we've got to kill 70-73% every year just for the numbers to be stable.

One of the most important tools the LLS has given us is the Feral Scan app.

So we're able to report every time we see a pig.

So they touch base, you know, if I put any numbers in, if I've seen a big group.

I'll get a call okay, you know, to see more.

Are they the same group running around? Yeah.

If they're different pigs? So yeah, we we get constant feedback.

I think what should be celebrated out here is a is that they've tried a few different techniques.

It's not just been the one solution.

fixes the problem.

We've trapped, we've looked at bait stations, opportunistic ground shooting.

And it's all these combinations that have really helped get a handle on the pig numbers out here.

And also the data from from Nic putting in FeralScan has helped us plan our aerial shoots and where we target areas.

Through the Feral Fighters program, we have been supplying free grain, free trap hire, free camera hire and free bait stations.

And that's really helped farmers and landholders just take that next step of doing control.

Because, you know, it's it's not easy and it's time consuming and they've got a lot of jobs on.

So if we can give them that little bit of a helping hand, that just gets the ball rolling.

And once it’s started, it's much easier to maintain that and get a hold of pig numbers.

I love getting out and talking to landholders and helping them.

We've got things now.

We've got tools.

We've got knowledge that we can pass on that can help landholders, help them, which helps their business, which helps everyone. 

Inverell grazier Kym Thomas says feral pigs were "out of control" before trapping, fencing and control efforts reduced their numbers and limited the damaging impacts on her sheep, land and income.

3:13

Control feral pigs to increase livestock production

Advice from Local Land Services biosecurity officers, and assistance with trapping, fencing and control efforts, helped Inverell grazier Kym Thomas to reduce the damage feral pigs were causing to her sheep, land and income. 

Read transcript
Video transcript

Control feral pigs to increase livestock production

We came here in 2018, the pigs here were absolutely out of control.

For us it was a huge impact A for the sheep, but B for the cropping.

And when money's tight you need to keep every cent in your pocket.

Hi, I'm Kym and I'm at Kahmoo in our Northern Tablelands property.

Been pretty much a grazier all my life with sheep and cattle.

And so this is the pasture we're in at the moment.

The support from LLS was amazing.

One, we didn't have really a pig trap, so we got a pig trap.

Two, we didn't have an idea of the countryside and what, what to do, how to do it in here.

You've got to learn about your land.

This is what happens and this is how we can do it.

So that information was fantastic.

Because you're busy, you know, you're flat out and if you've got someone else that can support you with your needs and help and ideas, yeah, it's, it's imperative.

So back early days we worked out this was probably early 2000s.

We'd lost 25% of our income.

Hi, I'm Elli Keyte, senior biosecurity officer with Local Land Services.

There's been consecutive few good seasons in the Inverell area which has made the feral pig numbers really explode.

So yeah, I've worked closely with Kym who was seeing huge impacts from feral pigs in her pastures, predating on lambs and also causing damage to infrastructure such as fences and coming into her sheep feeders.

When she was starting to see those impacts, Local Land Services came out on site, worked with Kym, assessed the damage and made up a plan of how we could best attack the situation.

You know, now Kym's not seeing the impacts with the pigs coming into her feeders, less tracks and her next step moving forward is to, with the exclusion fencing and just continue with that ground control, whether it be baiting, trapping or shooting.

I think it impacts everyone.

So from that point of view, from a neighbour point of view or anyone’s point of view, pigs are an impact.

But the better you fence, the better control and the less pigs you've got, and therefore your dollar’s in the back pocket and you can do something with it.

So has Paul been or going to be trapping back over here? Yes.

I expect now that we've got a lot out of this area that I think the majority will come over from that way.

And that area and that area over there will be the two areas that are going to be where we're going to have to concentrate in the future.

Feral pigs reproduce so rapidly, so no one control technique is going to get the population down low enough to eradicate them.

We really encourage you to reach out to your local biosecurity officer.

We can assist you with aerial control programs, ground control programs such as baiting and trapping.

And we can also loan out pig traps and provide subsidised bait products.

Without all of the support and all of everybody's input, we wouldn't have learnt what we've learnt and we wouldn't be in the situation we're in now with less pigs and the degradation, so much less.

Very lucky to have the support of all the community around us and the LLS.

Funding

The NSW Government has committed $14.3 million dollars in the 2025-26 Budget to deliver the Feral Pig and Pest Program.

Related information

To learn more about pest animal management, call LLS on 1300 795 299 and ask to speak with your local biosecurity officer.

Contact Local Land Services NSW

We welcome your enquiries, feedback and comments.  Contact our team

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Phone:1300 795 299
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