Biodiversity Council co-signs open letter calling for rejection of controversial new hunting legislation

The Biodiversity Council is among 25 signatories of an open letter to Premier Chris Minns calling for the rejection of the Game and Feral Animal Legislation Amendment (Conservation Hunting) Bill 2025 due to risks to public safety and nature.

The open letter warns that the Bill threatens public safety, risks poor animal welfare outcomes, undermines conservation efforts and erodes Australia’s globally respected firearm laws. The letter also highlights:

• The Parliamentary Inquiry ignored overwhelming evidence and failed to make any recommendations on the Bill.
• The Bill would designate large areas of public land currently enjoyed by families, bushwalkers and nature lovers for hunting, and is home to native wildlife.
• Evidence shows it would do little to support conservation or animal management, while risking harm to native species and reducing safe outdoor recreation opportunities.
• It was developed with no public consultation and minimal transparency.

Open letter

Open Letter co-signed by Australian Peak Bodies and Civil Society Organisations

Calling for rejection of the Game and Feral Animal Legislation Amendment (Conservation Hunting) Bill 2025

Addressed to The Hon Chris Minns MP, Premier of NSW

Dear Premier,

We, a coalition of national and NSW state-based peak bodies and civil society organisations, urge you to reject in full the Game and Feral Animal Legislation Amendment (Conservation Hunting) Bill 2025.

The Bill threatens public safety, risks poor animal welfare outcomes, undermines conservation efforts and erodes Australia’s globally respected firearm laws.

It is the most regressive firearm legislation in Australia for over 30 years.

Unfortunately, the Parliamentary Inquiry Report released last week ignored the evidence presented and failed to make any recommendations on the Bill.

Proposed by the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party as a supposed conservation measure, the Bill’s only clear objective is to promote hunting.

Through a range of audacious claims, it puts public safety at risk by giving shooters a ‘right to hunt’ and designates huge tracts of public land for hunting that are currently used by families, bushwalkers and nature lovers and is home to native wildlife.

The recent Parliamentary Inquiry provided overwhelming evidence that the Bill would do very little for conservation or introduced species management. Instead, it would endanger native species, ignore animal welfare, undermine land management processes and decrease outdoor recreation opportunities. It would also increase the risk of domestic and family violence.

The contents of this Bill, paired with a concerning lack of consultation and minimal transparency, has led to public outcry.

Respected voices have spoken up. Former Prime Minister John Howard has condemned it as a dangerous weakening of existing protections. Walter Mikac, who lost his family in the Port Arthur tragedy, has also personally appealed to you. More than 3,000 NSW residents have written to their MPs demanding the Bill be shelved.

Premier, we support your statements to remove changes to the Weapons Act and the Right to Hunt. But this Bill goes far beyond gun laws. Passing any part of this Bill would ignore over 8 million people in NSW who do not use firearms and put their safety and public spaces at risk.

We urge you to put public safety above all else and reject the Bill entirely.

Signatories