Parts of Kosciuszko National Park Will Close for 6 Months

From the 4th of April 2024, a large area of northern Kosciuszko National Park (KNP) will be closed for aerial shooting, including sections of the Australian Alpine Walking Track and the National Trail.

The boundary of the closure area is north of the Snowy Mountains Highway and east of the Goobarragandra Powerline Road to the KNP boundary to the east. A detailed map outlines the closed areas. The closure time includes the standard winter closure period and the area is planned to reopen on the 4th of October 2024.

Why is the area closing?

The northern section of KNP is closing for aerial shooting of invasive species, as well as the regular closure period over winter.

The aerial shooting will be conducted from helicopters by licenced contractors, targeting horses, deer, pigs, and other feral animals. According to the Invasive Species Council, in 2020, there were an estimated 14,000 feral horses in Kosciuszko, and trapping programs from 2019-2021 removed approximately 99 horses, just 5% of the estimated population.

Australia has the world’s largest population of feral horses, at approximately 400,000. Unlike native Australian fauna, horses, deer, and pigs are hard-hoofed animals that cause immense ecological damage, particularly in the fragile high country of Australia’s Alps. Similar shooting programs have been conducted in Victoria to reduce feral species populations, particularly in the aftermath of the 2019-2020 Black Summer Bushfires.

Kosciusko Campground & Trail Closures

The six-month closure period includes the usual winter closure (June 10th to October 4th, 2024) and consists of the following campgrounds, huts, picnic areas, and accommodation nodes;

• Bullocks Hill Campground
• Cooinbil Hut Campground
• Cooinbil Hut Horse Camp
• Ghost Gully Campground
• Long Plain Hut Campground
• Magpie Flat Campground
• Old Snowy Campground
• Perkins Flat Campground
• Rocky Plain Campground
• Wares Yards Campground
• Blue Waterholes Campground
• Cooleman Mountain Campground
• Long Plain Hut Horse Camp
• Broken Cart Campground
• Dubbo Flats Campground
• Currango Homestead precinct
• Clarke Gorge walking track
• Nichols Gorge walking track
• Australian Alps Walking Track north of the Snowy Mountains Highway to the KNP boundary
• National Trail north of the Snowy Mountains Highway to the KNP boundary
• Hume Hovell Walking Track from the KNP park boundary to the park boundary at Thomas Boyd track head

Penalties will apply for non-compliance. For more information, head to the NSW National Parks website or contact NPWS directly at npws.southernrangesbranch@environment.nsw.gov.au or phone 02 6947 7025.

Feature image by Craig Pearce