A resident from The Rock, photographer Georgina Gorman, has launched an online petition opposing a bill by Wagga MP Joe McGirr that seeks to repeal the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018, which protects wild horses (brumbies) in the Snowy Mountains. McGirr’s bill aims to allow increased culling of these horses due to their environmental damage, such as trampling wetlands and destroying habitats. However, Gorman argues that other animals like feral pigs and deer cause more harm to farmland and ecosystems, and she wants to preserve the brumbies, highlighting their heritage value and disputing claims about their environmental impact.

Environmental experts and government sources acknowledge that wild horses are pests causing significant ecological damage, including erosion, tree ringbarking, and harm to endangered species like the critically endangered Southern corroboree frog. Despite this, Gorman’s petition, supported by Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst, has gained traction with over 500 signatures in its first day and aims for 20,000 to force parliamentary debate. The debate reflects ongoing tensions between conservation efforts to protect native species and cultural efforts to preserve the brumbies in Kosciuszko National Park.