General News
23 June, 2026
Feral pigs a problem
MAREEBA Shire Council has received over $120,000 in funding to tackle increasing feral pig numbers in the region after Tropical Cyclone Jasper’s devastation in 2023 and the heavy rainfalls which created conditions for populations to thrive.
It was one of five local councils to share in $2.7 million of State and Federal Government funding to help fight invasive pests and weeds through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
Delivered through the Department of Primary Industries’ Pest and Weed Management Program, the council received $126,100 for its Feral Pig Management and Impact Reduction Program.
It comes as national figures for one of the country’s most destructive feral animals reaches a population of 26 million, according to Queensland Senator Susan McDonald.
A council spokesperson said the funding would go toward purchasing new equipment such as traps, which can be borrowed by landowners. Other items on the list included trail cameras, firearms and ammunition, and thermal monitoring equipment.
“Management of feral pigs is everyone’s responsibility and a significant challenge for land holders,” the spokesperson said.
“This funding means council is better able to assist the wider community with ongoing damage and issues experienced by the feral pig population.”
At May’s ordinary meeting, the council heard it had acquired six new pig traps, and that a total of 30 pigs were trapped during the month.
The spokesperson said that despite the result, the number of feral pigs in the Mareeba Shire was still growing.
“Most reports received are from residents in Koah, Speewah, and Mount Molloy, however, the highest density is in the western areas of the shire and the intensive agricultural hubs,” the spokesperson said.
“Feral pigs are an issue in the shire because they can spread diseases and damage crops, stock, property, and the natural environment.
“Trapping 30 feral pigs during May is a positive step towards reducing the population and the impacts that pigs have on the environment and properties, however, the number of pigs is generally increasing due to longer wet seasons.”
The feral pig (sus scrofa) is a Category 3, 4, and 6 restricted invasive animal under the Biosecurity Act 2014, meaning they must not be moved, kept, given away, sold, or released into the environment. However, pigs kept in an escape-proof enclosure to be farmed or for another purpose are not considered feral.
They were originally brought to Australia as imported livestock by the First Fleet in 1788 but eventually escaped and began establishing wild populations that have exploded over time. In 2021, it was estimated Queensland had up to 2.3 million feral pigs and they were among the state’s most widespread and damaging pest animals.
Senator McDonald, the opposition spokesperson on resources and northern Australia, said experts were advising that 70% of the national feral pig population had to be removed to reduce numbers, and as many as 15 million needed to be culled each year “simply to stand still”.
“Australia’s feral pig crisis is spiralling out of control. Every day governments delay meaningful action, the infestation grows and the damage compounds,” she said.
“Across Australia, producers are watching crops destroyed overnight, fencing ripped apart, water systems contaminated, and native habitats obliterated.
“These pests breed rapidly, spread disease, and cause untold devastation to agriculture and the environment, yet regional Australians are being left to fight this battle largely on their own.”
She called on the Federal Government to “get serious” about feral pests with long-term funding, coordinated control programs and much more support for the producers and communities on the frontline.
