Latest news with #RobertBorsak
The Advertiser
6 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Animal advocates shoot down bill for enabling 'yahoos'
Environmentalists have opened fire on a bill which could pay recreational hunters for killing invasive pests, describing the plan as enabling a "fringe minority of men" to let loose. A bill before NSW parliament aims to establish a Conservation Hunting Authority, with debate in the upper house taking place on Wednesday. It would better enable "conservation hunting" on private and public land to control invasive animals, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Robert Borsak told parliament. It would also recognise hunting as a cultural activity with social and economic benefits. "It is about responsible conservation, ethical hunting and ensuring that our public lands are managed in a way that benefits everyone." The proposed plan would introduce bounties for killing foxes, cats and feral pigs, which the authority could oversee, the MP explained. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst described those partaking in such activities as a bunch of "yahoos". "Recreational hunting is not about conservation," she said on Wednesday. "This is a fringe minority of people in our society, predominantly men, who like to kill animals for so-called fun. It is a form of dangerous violence. "Allowing yahoos with very limited training or experience to go out and shoot animals creates an unacceptable animal welfare risk." Biodiversity Council director James Trezise said co-ordinated baiting and trapping as well as aerial culls are more effective at large-scale population reduction. "Whilst recreational hunting is a perfectly valid hobby, it isn't an effective tool for invasive species management." Victoria and the Northern Territory have well-regulated public land hunting programs which have delivered positive pest management results, Mr Borsak added. The proposed hunting authority would comprise eight members, half of whom would be nominated by "prescribed hunting organisations". It would represent the interests of licensed hunters, liaise on land management and make recommendations to ministers on game and feral animal management. A new licence would be created for conservation hunters, aimed at training them in the use of night-vision technology and infrared scopes and allowing them to use suppressors on rifles. Environment Minister Penny Sharpe defended the government's approach in trying to cull feral animal populations by any means necessary. "Invasive species are one of the largest harms that occur to nature and to our ecosystems across our state - it is worth billions of dollars of harm," she told parliament. "This is not going to solve our invasive species problem... but having more people with their shoulder to the wheel being in a position to take out feral animals wherever they are ... is something that just helps." Environmentalists have opened fire on a bill which could pay recreational hunters for killing invasive pests, describing the plan as enabling a "fringe minority of men" to let loose. A bill before NSW parliament aims to establish a Conservation Hunting Authority, with debate in the upper house taking place on Wednesday. It would better enable "conservation hunting" on private and public land to control invasive animals, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Robert Borsak told parliament. It would also recognise hunting as a cultural activity with social and economic benefits. "It is about responsible conservation, ethical hunting and ensuring that our public lands are managed in a way that benefits everyone." The proposed plan would introduce bounties for killing foxes, cats and feral pigs, which the authority could oversee, the MP explained. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst described those partaking in such activities as a bunch of "yahoos". "Recreational hunting is not about conservation," she said on Wednesday. "This is a fringe minority of people in our society, predominantly men, who like to kill animals for so-called fun. It is a form of dangerous violence. "Allowing yahoos with very limited training or experience to go out and shoot animals creates an unacceptable animal welfare risk." Biodiversity Council director James Trezise said co-ordinated baiting and trapping as well as aerial culls are more effective at large-scale population reduction. "Whilst recreational hunting is a perfectly valid hobby, it isn't an effective tool for invasive species management." Victoria and the Northern Territory have well-regulated public land hunting programs which have delivered positive pest management results, Mr Borsak added. The proposed hunting authority would comprise eight members, half of whom would be nominated by "prescribed hunting organisations". It would represent the interests of licensed hunters, liaise on land management and make recommendations to ministers on game and feral animal management. A new licence would be created for conservation hunters, aimed at training them in the use of night-vision technology and infrared scopes and allowing them to use suppressors on rifles. Environment Minister Penny Sharpe defended the government's approach in trying to cull feral animal populations by any means necessary. "Invasive species are one of the largest harms that occur to nature and to our ecosystems across our state - it is worth billions of dollars of harm," she told parliament. "This is not going to solve our invasive species problem... but having more people with their shoulder to the wheel being in a position to take out feral animals wherever they are ... is something that just helps." Environmentalists have opened fire on a bill which could pay recreational hunters for killing invasive pests, describing the plan as enabling a "fringe minority of men" to let loose. A bill before NSW parliament aims to establish a Conservation Hunting Authority, with debate in the upper house taking place on Wednesday. It would better enable "conservation hunting" on private and public land to control invasive animals, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Robert Borsak told parliament. It would also recognise hunting as a cultural activity with social and economic benefits. "It is about responsible conservation, ethical hunting and ensuring that our public lands are managed in a way that benefits everyone." The proposed plan would introduce bounties for killing foxes, cats and feral pigs, which the authority could oversee, the MP explained. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst described those partaking in such activities as a bunch of "yahoos". "Recreational hunting is not about conservation," she said on Wednesday. "This is a fringe minority of people in our society, predominantly men, who like to kill animals for so-called fun. It is a form of dangerous violence. "Allowing yahoos with very limited training or experience to go out and shoot animals creates an unacceptable animal welfare risk." Biodiversity Council director James Trezise said co-ordinated baiting and trapping as well as aerial culls are more effective at large-scale population reduction. "Whilst recreational hunting is a perfectly valid hobby, it isn't an effective tool for invasive species management." Victoria and the Northern Territory have well-regulated public land hunting programs which have delivered positive pest management results, Mr Borsak added. The proposed hunting authority would comprise eight members, half of whom would be nominated by "prescribed hunting organisations". It would represent the interests of licensed hunters, liaise on land management and make recommendations to ministers on game and feral animal management. A new licence would be created for conservation hunters, aimed at training them in the use of night-vision technology and infrared scopes and allowing them to use suppressors on rifles. Environment Minister Penny Sharpe defended the government's approach in trying to cull feral animal populations by any means necessary. "Invasive species are one of the largest harms that occur to nature and to our ecosystems across our state - it is worth billions of dollars of harm," she told parliament. "This is not going to solve our invasive species problem... but having more people with their shoulder to the wheel being in a position to take out feral animals wherever they are ... is something that just helps." Environmentalists have opened fire on a bill which could pay recreational hunters for killing invasive pests, describing the plan as enabling a "fringe minority of men" to let loose. A bill before NSW parliament aims to establish a Conservation Hunting Authority, with debate in the upper house taking place on Wednesday. It would better enable "conservation hunting" on private and public land to control invasive animals, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Robert Borsak told parliament. It would also recognise hunting as a cultural activity with social and economic benefits. "It is about responsible conservation, ethical hunting and ensuring that our public lands are managed in a way that benefits everyone." The proposed plan would introduce bounties for killing foxes, cats and feral pigs, which the authority could oversee, the MP explained. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst described those partaking in such activities as a bunch of "yahoos". "Recreational hunting is not about conservation," she said on Wednesday. "This is a fringe minority of people in our society, predominantly men, who like to kill animals for so-called fun. It is a form of dangerous violence. "Allowing yahoos with very limited training or experience to go out and shoot animals creates an unacceptable animal welfare risk." Biodiversity Council director James Trezise said co-ordinated baiting and trapping as well as aerial culls are more effective at large-scale population reduction. "Whilst recreational hunting is a perfectly valid hobby, it isn't an effective tool for invasive species management." Victoria and the Northern Territory have well-regulated public land hunting programs which have delivered positive pest management results, Mr Borsak added. The proposed hunting authority would comprise eight members, half of whom would be nominated by "prescribed hunting organisations". It would represent the interests of licensed hunters, liaise on land management and make recommendations to ministers on game and feral animal management. A new licence would be created for conservation hunters, aimed at training them in the use of night-vision technology and infrared scopes and allowing them to use suppressors on rifles. Environment Minister Penny Sharpe defended the government's approach in trying to cull feral animal populations by any means necessary. "Invasive species are one of the largest harms that occur to nature and to our ecosystems across our state - it is worth billions of dollars of harm," she told parliament. "This is not going to solve our invasive species problem... but having more people with their shoulder to the wheel being in a position to take out feral animals wherever they are ... is something that just helps."
The Age
03-06-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Silencers, night vision and cultural hunting: Shooters Party reveals its demands
A new state body to manage 'conservation hunting' would recognise 'cultural hunting' among Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike, and encourage recreational shooters to use silencers and night vision technology to kill pest species, under a proposal now being considered by the Minns government. Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party leader Robert Borsak said the proposed council of seven members – four of whom would be nominated by shooters organisations – would operate under the oversight of a newly appointed hunting minister. It would take on some of the responsibilities of the Game Council of NSW, which was abolished after a scathing report into its operations in 2013. Then-premier Barry O'Farrell said at the time: 'Essentially it made the point that the Game Council was both the promoter and the operator in relation to hunting activities across NSW as well as the regulator. That posed an unacceptable risk to the government.' Under the latest proposal, the new body would have less control over revenues from licensing than the Game Council had, but according to a briefing paper on the changes written by the Shooters Party and provided to some NSW MPs, it would oversee licensing and policy development. 'The bill supports a new licensing framework, including a proposed Conservation Hunting Licence, to manage ethical public land access and encourages the use of advanced technology (e.g. night vision, thermal scopes, sound moderators) for humane and efficient pest control on private land,' the briefing paper says. Loading It would also create bounties for pest animals such as pigs, feral cats and foxes, providing what it said was a cost-effective way to support government-funded pest control. Borsak said the proposed changes would also increase access to Crown land for hunters, but could not say which land. He said he understood the government would support the proposal. A spokesperson for Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said the bill would go through 'internal party processes this morning'. The O'Farrell government called for a report into the original Game Council after its chief executive was arrested for illegally hunting on private land. He was later convicted of illegal hunting and firearms charges.
Sydney Morning Herald
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Silencers, night vision and cultural hunting: Shooters Party reveals its demands
A new state body to manage 'conservation hunting' would recognise 'cultural hunting' among Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike, and encourage recreational shooters to use silencers and night vision technology to kill pest species, under a proposal now being considered by the Minns government. Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party leader Robert Borsak said the proposed council of seven members – four of whom would be nominated by shooters organisations – would operate under the oversight of a newly appointed hunting minister. It would take on some of the responsibilities of the Game Council of NSW, which was abolished after a scathing report into its operations in 2013. Then-premier Barry O'Farrell said at the time: 'Essentially it made the point that the Game Council was both the promoter and the operator in relation to hunting activities across NSW as well as the regulator. That posed an unacceptable risk to the government.' Under the latest proposal, the new body would have less control over revenues from licensing than the Game Council had, but according to a briefing paper on the changes written by the Shooters Party and provided to some NSW MPs, it would oversee licensing and policy development. 'The bill supports a new licensing framework, including a proposed Conservation Hunting Licence, to manage ethical public land access and encourages the use of advanced technology (e.g. night vision, thermal scopes, sound moderators) for humane and efficient pest control on private land,' the briefing paper says. Loading It would also create bounties for pest animals such as pigs, feral cats and foxes, providing what it said was a cost-effective way to support government-funded pest control. Borsak said the proposed changes would also increase access to Crown land for hunters, but could not say which land. He said he understood the government would support the proposal. A spokesperson for Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said the bill would go through 'internal party processes this morning'. The O'Farrell government called for a report into the original Game Council after its chief executive was arrested for illegally hunting on private land. He was later convicted of illegal hunting and firearms charges.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bounties back in vogue to cull feral goats, cats, pigs
Bounty hunters may be unleashed on feral cats and goats for the first time in years as a state government looks to "novel" ways to deal with pests. NSW Premier Chris Minns on Tuesday threw his weight behind bounties, saying the state has to do better to control feral pest populations. It comes after Victoria's fox bounties wiped out more than 80,000 of the species in 2022 after hunters were rewarded between $10 to $14 per scalp. "It's about time we start thinking about novel ways of reducing the feral goat, the feral pig, the feral cat population, which has really taken over a lot of parks," Mr Minns told Triple M Coffs Coast radio. "We should be open to bounties and other things, because we've got a lot of recreational shooters out there that are actually getting rid of a lot of the pests roaming across our native vegetation. "We can be doing far better on it." Nearly $1 billion is also being spent on prevention and protection against biosecurity threats in NSW. Invasive species are the highest impact contributors of extinctions, directly endangering 70 per cent of threatened wildlife and ecosystems in the state. Cats alone have played a major role in 25 mammal extinctions, including the lesser bilby, the Invasive Species Council says. The premier highlighted the success of brumby culls in the Kosciuszko National Park, bringing the population down up to 80 per cent. NSW Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party leader Robert Borsak in January pressed for a $2 million bounty scheme, even backing novel approaches like Florida's famed Python Challenge. The annual 10-day competition - which even spawned a TV comedy, Killing It - draws hundreds of people to the Florida Everglades to exterminate invasive Burmese pythons. Mr Borsak's proposal involves a bounty of $10 or $20 per head being set on feral animals. The CSIRO's most recent best practice advice on pest management however says bounties rarely work. Animal welfare groups oppose the practice while the Invasive Species Council compares it to "jailing the occasional dealer" in a drug epidemic.
News.com.au
17-05-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
NSW government to probe anti-Semitism response amid concerns about anti-hate laws
A peak Jewish body has claimed controversial anti-protest laws introduced by the NSW government in a bid to crack down on alleged anti-Semitic incidents have not made many in the community feel safer on the eve of the first public hearing into the issue. Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers MP Robert Borsak will chair the first hearing in state parliament on Monday of the NSW Legislative Council's inquiry into anti-Semitism in NSW, alongside Greens MLC Amanda Cohn and MLCs from Labor and the Liberals. The inquiry seeks to examine the underlying causes behind the 'increasing prevalence and severity' of anti-Semitism in NSW as well as the 'threat to social cohesion' it presents and how the safety of the state's Jewish community 'might be enhanced'. It comes after a string of high-profile anti-Semitic incidents across Greater Sydney over the summer, some of which police now allege were part of a criminal conspiracy, prompting the Labor government to introduce harsh new anti-hate laws. The laws, which criminalise a range of activities outside places of worship, were criticised by Jewish Council of Australia executive officer Sarah Schwartz, who said the 'law and order measures' failed to address the root causes of anti-Semitism in Australia. 'The government needs to get serious about addressing the root causes of hatred,' Ms Schwartz said. 'The measures they are proposing are really after-the-fact measures – law and order measures. There is no evidence that they actually reduce racism.' She said there was a 'serious issue of racism and anti-Semitism', including a rise in right-wing extremism and 'anti-Semitic stunts' and urged state and federal governments to invest in long-term prevention and education to disrupt far-right recruitment. The Jewish Council of Australia was founded in February 2024 and is co-led by Ms Schwartz, a human rights lawyer, and historian Max Kaiser. It was one of more than 70 organisations, individuals and government bodies to submit to the inquiry. In its submission, the council urged the government to adopt a 'unified commitment to opposing all forms of racism' that did not create 'hierarchies of racism' and to target systemic causes, including of Islamophobia and an anti-Palestinian racism. 'What we've seen is the often very deliberate conflation of anti-Semitism, which is hatred of Jewish people, with criticism of the state of Israel … the government shouldn't be suppressing free speech which should be allowed to criticise nation states,' she said. Ms Schwartz said conflating Judaism and the state of Israel 'makes us (Jewish people) less safe in our identities' and warned that the tying of the state government's anti-hate laws with anti-Semitism specifically also put the community at further risk. 'There's been this sort of false connection between anti-Semitic incidents and protests, which hasn't been borne out. That, on its own, is quite dangerous,' she said. 'If the government continues to single out anti-Semitism and just make laws they say for the benefit of the Jewish community, the message that it sends to every other racialised group is that anti-Semitism is a more serious form of racism.' Dural caravan conspiracy A separate inquiry was launched in April into the 'relationship between the Dural caravan incident and parliamentary debates on legislation', namely the so-called anti-protest laws, with an initial hearing held that same month. A Bill was introduced on February 11 and passed on February 20, less than a month after news of the van, a fabricated terrorist plot targeting the Jewish community, first broke and gives new powers to police in regard to protests at or near places of worship and increases criminal penalties. The government did not point to the caravan as the reason for the Bill and instead cited a series of anti-Semitic arson and graffiti attacks in Sydney. Some of those incidents were later connected to the Dural criminal conspiracy. NSW Council of Civil Liberties president Tim Roberts cautioned the government that it couldn't 'legislate our way to social cohesion' and there was a risk that 'in trying to limit speech and out ability to protest, that we cut off our nose despite our face'. 'In trying to respond to difficult circumstances in a kneejerk way, without hearing from the community before those laws are made, they're going to make mistakes. They've made mistakes, and our community suffers as a whole,' he said. He went on to add: 'The more we push speech into the back corners of some Reddit forum, somewhere where anti-Semitism and hate festers because we're using police powers to try and limit and enforce it, the more as a community we can't identify, solve and respond to and reject a problem, and these laws don't help us do that.' Mr Roberts said the NSWCLL recommended that the government changed the laws. 'While I think everyone in the room that's behaving sensibly here sees that there's some problems with what's happened, there's not a lot of motivation to change those laws,' he said. While the inquiry will focus on the state's response, local councils have also responded to the reported rise in anti-Semitism. Sydney's Waverley City Council is home to the state's largest Jewish population and has been rocked by high-profile anti-Semitic and anti-Israel attacks and incidents. In its submission to the inquiry, the council reported several incidents, including a synagogue being defaced with Nazi symbols and Jewish schoolchildren being targeted. 'The level of anti-Semitism experienced in the local community has been abhorrent, deliberate and has caused real harm,' Mayor Will Namesh said. 'Waverley Council has taken a comprehensive approach by working with local law enforcement for community safety, developing and implementing a first-of-its-kind local government strategy to combat anti-Semitism. 'By launching this strategy, Waverley Council is taking a proactive stance in ensuring that anti-Semitism is confronted and that all residents can thrive in an environment of mutual respect and social cohesion.' Mr Namesh said the council had been advocating to state and federal governments for 'direct action to support and protect the Jewish community'. 'As the level of government closest to the people, local councils have a critical role in fostering inclusive, safe, and connected communities,' he said. 'As mayor, in addition to supporting the anti-Semitism inquiry, I also call on the state government to support funding for local government initiatives.' Jewish community voices concern More than 70 submissions were made to the inquiry ahead of the first hearing on Monday, including from individuals, Jewish representative groups, and civil rights organisations. The inquiry will also seek to examine incidents on school and university campuses in NSW following an earlier inquiry into the Anti-Semitism at Australian Universities Bill 2024. The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) referred in its submission to a December 2024 interim report into reports of racism at Australian universities, including acts of anti-Semitism. The report found 'both interpersonal and structural racism' was 'pervasive and deeply entrenched' at the country's universities, including towards Muslim and Palestinian students. Students reported to AHRC being made to feel 'unsafe and unwelcome' because of racism, while staff said they felt 'othered' and less confident expressing their identity or opinions. More than 20 individuals, many of Jewish heritage, provided submissions to the inquiry. Many, like Sam Altman, highlighted a need to combat anti-Semitism but said that it must 'be part of a broader anti-racism movement rooted in solidarity' with 'all marginalised groups'. The child of Polish-Jewish Holocaust survivors said: 'Efforts to address anti-Semitism through criminalisation or by exceptionalising it above other forms of racism are counter-productive.' Others, like Rose Saltman, feared 'any criticism of Israel be conflated with anti-Semitism' and blamed 'public figures' for exacerbating both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. 'At this time of unconscionable brutality by Israel in Palestine, should the NSW government be swayed by a partisan political campaign exploiting some real concerns to redefine anti-Semitism to stifle political speech and action?' Martin Munz said in his submission. Other individuals who made submissions to the parliamentary inquiry included former Middle East correspondent David Leser and Vaucluse MP Kellie Sloane.
