Led by the Invasive Species Council and backed by AEGN members, it has been a seven-year battle to protect Kosciuszko National Park from the damage caused by feral horses.  

When the NSW Parliament passed the Kosciuszko Wildhorse Heritage Act in 2018, protecting feral horse populations in the park to levels against conservation science, the Reclaim Kosci campaign was developed, combining political strategy with strong partnerships. 

The repeal of the Heritage Act is the culmination of years of strategic and collaborative effort. Supported by philanthropy, the campaign saw a protest walk from Sydney to Kosciuszko in 2018; pressure to develop a new NSW plan in 2021 to actively manage feral horses from 14,000 to 3,000 by 2026; and a community-led petition in 2025 signed by 11,331 people calling the NSW Government to repeal the Heritage Act.  

Photo (courtesy of John Pierce AO): Damage at Tantangara, partly due to fluctuating dam levels and partly horses.

Funders utilised the AEGN network to raise awareness and share updates on the campaign and to fund collaboratively. The repeal stands as a testament to what is possible when we work together for nature. 

AEGN congratulates members along with the Invasive Species Council for leading the campaign and partner eNGOs: the Nature Conservation Council of NSW; the National Parks Associations of NSW; the National Parks Association ACT, Bushwalking NSW and the Biodiversity Council. 

As shared by AEGN member Rob Pallin:

“The important part of the campaign to get the Heritage Horse Act removed was the cooperation of volunteers and the expertise of the Invasive Species Council. 

Linda Groom and her cohort of supporters, walking from Sydney to Kosciuszko, getting 11,000 signatures on a petition to parliament and gathering support at markets and gatherings. 

All this linked with Jack Gough’s lobbying in parliament and explaining to politicians the issues with horses in the high country.  This was shown to be effective when during the debate Jack’s words were directly used by speakers.”