NSW Government proposes $175 million plan to combat fox predation

The NSW Government has released a draft plan to combat predation by the European fox, aiming to protect native biodiversity and livestock. The proposed strategy includes a potential investment of $175 million over five years to manage fox impacts across nine specific objectives.

This initiative follows a 2008 threat abatement plan that a 2023 review determined had failed to minimize the biodiversity impacts of foxes. The new plan seeks to identify priority sites and species for intervention, with a long-term goal of ensuring native species are no longer targeted by foxes within 30 years.

Foxes are cited as a major contributing factor in the extinction of approximately 20 of the 37 Australian mammal species lost since 1788. Farmers in southern New South Wales have reported significant impacts, noting increased fox sightings and attacks during lambing seasons.