Native Game Bird Management Program

Although there is no recreational hunting of native game birds in NSW, landholders can sustainably manage native game birds that are impacting their agricultural production with the assistance of licensed hunters through the Native Game Bird Management Program (the program). Hunters wishing to take part in the program must hold a current NSW game hunting licence and have passed the Waterfowl Identification Test.

Native game bird hunting in NSW is for ‘sustainable agricultural management purposes’ only. This means:

‘those activities that contribute positively to farm, regional and the State’s productivity and economy; that adaptively manage and enhance biological and physical resources and support the State’s regional and rural communities’.

Private agricultural landholders must demonstrate that their agricultural activities are being impacted by problem native game birds. Both landholders and hunters need to hold a licence to take part in the program.

• Landholders require a Native Game Bird Management (owner/occupier) Licence.
• Hunters require a restricted or general game hunting licence that is endorsed for the program.

As the program operates on private land only, native game birds may be hunted at night but only in the immediate vicinity of a planted crop. A light of sufficient brightness must be used that enables hunters to clearly see and identify the target species.