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Data on NSW licencing reveal the extent of Government-sanctioned destruction of native animals in the state | Conservation groups and wildlife carers to provide evidence of the extent of cruelty at inquiry into licensed killing
SYDNEY (5 February, 2026)—Humane World for Animals Australia (previously Humane Society International Australia) will provide evidence at a NSW Parliamentary Committee inquiry into licences to harm native animals on 9 February 2026 as newly released figures reveal a staggering increase to the extent of legal killing of native wildlife in the state.
Recently published data on the number of licences granted to private landholders to kill native wildlife in NSW has shown a dramatic increase on previous years, with an average of one animal being shot, poisoned or otherwise destroyed every minute.
In 2025, under the state’s licensing system:
• 443,115 kangaroos and wallabies were permitted to be killed—a 75% increase on the previous year.
• 35,605 native birds were permitted to be killed.
• 6,640 emus were permitted to be killed—more than tripling the previous year’s number.
• 286 wombats were permitted to be killed.
Licences to kill eastern grey kangaroos increased from 157,246 in 2023 to 355,462 in 2025, while authorisations for red kangaroos nearly tripled over the same period.
Dozens of native bird species are licensed to be killed, with particularly high numbers recorded for little corellas, noisy miners, galahs, sulphur-crested cockatoos and welcome swallows.
Humane World for Animals Australia’s Wildlife Program Manager, Dr Renae Charalambous, says the exponential increase points to an unconstrained system desperately needing increased regulation: “I’m sure that the people of NSW would be appalled to know about the devastating number of native animals that their elected government is allowing to be killed across the state every day and the sheer scale of harm that is inflicted on cherished species like wallabies, little corellas, wombats and rainbow lorikeets.”
“What we’re seeing here is a licencing system that is out of control. We do not condone the killing of native wildlife under any pretense. However, if the NSW Government intends to continue issuing licences to kill native animals, the system must be subject to new, strict and enforceable safeguards including incentivising humane and non-lethal control measures that will significantly reduce the number of animals impacted.”
Humane World for Animals Australia is calling for urgent reform of the current system and the implementation of measures to ensure suffering of animals is minimised, including:
• Mandatory shooter competency and species ID testing.
• Required proof that non-lethal methods have been tried and exhausted.
• Required evidence of damage or risk posed by animals.
• Mandatory, timely reporting.
• Public registers to disclose actual kill numbers and public reporting of compliance and enforcement outcomes.
• Science-based limits for all species and population impacts considered by law.
• The full application of animal welfare laws to all wildlife killing
Media contact:
Sam Edmonds, Director, Communications at Humane World for Animals Australia
T: 0436 302 272
E: mediaau@humaneworld.org
