Feral cats devastate Australia's wildlife. There is opportunity for the NSW Government to leverage the private land conservation sector's expertise and impact to improve feral cat management.
The nature crisis in Australia is exacerbated by invasive species like cats – both feral and domestic – which have a devastating impact on native wildlife, killing billions of animals annually, including many threatened species. The Commonwealth's 2021 State of Environment Report highlights the alarming scale of this issue, with feral cats alone responsible for the deaths of millions of mammals, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates each year.
There is strong community support for stronger action on feral cats.
The private land conservation sector significantly contributes to managing feral cats in Australia and collectively, ALCA's member organisations are a key repository of Australia's invasive species expertise, especially in the effective implementation of practical, on-ground feral cat management activities.
There is opportunity for the NSW Government to leverage our sector's expertise and grow our impact to the scale needed, by elevating our work in its approach to feral cat management. Our recommendations to the New South Wales Government include partnering with the private land conservation sector to enhance feral cat management, aligning local and regional pest management plans, and amending laws to enforce anti-roaming policies for pet cats. Increased funding and collaboration are essential to scale up efforts and protect Australia's unique biodiversity.
