With some Australians being located in Bloomington Normal, some of their concerns/interests related to their local area are to do with Australian national parks, such as the Kosciuszko National Park.

Kosciuszko National Park: Australia's highest mountain and Yarrangobilly Caves - Pin Your Footsteps - Travel Blog

Kosciuszko National Park[1] (KNP) is located in the state of New South Wales[2] (NSW) in Australia, apart of the Snowy Mountains region[3] and home to Mount Kosciuszko[4] Australia's highest mountain at 2228 metres above sea level. The national park is 6900 square kilometres and in an alpine climate making it popular with skiers and bushwalkers. Much of the national parks vegetation is dominated by alpine woodlands populated with snow gum. The wildlife consists of the threatened species corroboree frog, mountain pygmy possum and the slightly more common dusky antechinus all located in the higher region of the park. There are significant feral animals in the area including brumbies[5] which have been the topic of controversy relating to their culling and relocation. 

Table of Contents

  • Brief History
  • KNP Environment
    • Climate
    • Cultural Heritage
    • Vegetation
    • Wildlife

  • Brumby Management and Habitat Conservation

  • Kosciuszko Conservation Podcast

  • Stakeholders

    • Conservation Groups

    • Government Agencies

    • Brumby Advocacy Groups

  • References

Brief History

Brumbies were first introduced to Australia as tamed horses with the First Fleet in 1788, since then those horses have escaped, and others let go into the wild. These horses thrived and spread across Australia’s landscape being recognised as pests during the 1860s. In 1944 Kosciuszko was recognised as Kosciuszko State Park to protect its water catchments from hard hoofed animals, being updated to Kosciuszko National Park in 1967. In 2003 the first horse management plan was introduced trialling the use of trapping, roping and mustering of brumbies. A survey of the brumby population in 2005 revealed that their population was in 1700, a reduction in recent years due to natural bushfires. Nearly a decade later however, the brumby population was up to 6150 in 2014 resulting in a new plan to be drafted involving aerial culling. Despite this large increase, horse removal was halted in 2017-2019 and in 2018 the NSW state deputy premier[6]  John Barilaro[7] proposed and passed a bill[8]  into legislation which supposedly recognised the cultural and heritage value brumbies held preventing all methods of removal from Kosciuszko. This skyrocketed the feral horse population to over 20000 and resulted in a large mass of the public calling for a repeal of the Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018. After many protests, the Horse management plan was revised in 2021 and allowed for trapping and rehoming of horses however this method was ineffective and further action was needed. In 2023 aerial shooting was permitted after a two decade ban to reduce the population to 3000 by the year 2027. 

KNP Environment

Climate

KNP includes a diverse climate due to its vast elevation range. Generally the park experiences a sub-alpine[9] to alpine[10] climate with cool summers and cold snowy winters ranging from average temperatures of 0 degrees celsius in the winter and 15 degrees in the summer. The sunlight received ranges from 5 hours a day in June/July and 10 hours a day in January/December. Monthly precipitation varies from 107mm in the wettest month November and 46mm in the driest month May. Humidity fluctuates between 60% and 85% over the year alluding to a moist climate in the colder months. 

Cultural Heritage

The KNP is home to many endangered species. The Northern and Southern Corroboree frogs[11], pygmy possum[12], broad-toothed mouse[13] and the alpine she-oak skink[14] are all endangered and rare animals which are found in small areas within the park. There is also endangered flora such as the alpine daisies and orchids that are found no where else in the world. 

The indigenous significance the KNP holds towards the Walgalu people[15] and the Ngarigo people[16] from the aboriginal community of Australia dates back thousands of years. Their traditions were carried out in the summer when the two tribes would gather peacefully for trade, marriages, social events and other exchanges. 

Vegetation

Majority of Kosciuszko is a sub-alpine region with some parts being alpine. It is home to unique vegetation such as snow gums[17], alpine herbfields[18] and the endangered cushion plants[19]. Threatened species such as the Corroboree frog rely on these plants making it a key area for conservation. Much of the open fields within Kosciuszko consist of snow grass, snow daisies, heaths and feldmarks. These species are very delicate and are designed to endure a harsh cold low humidity environment. They are not very resistance to erosion and trampling caused by alien species like brumbies and cattle[20]. 

Wildlife

KNP is home to over 40 species of native mammals, 200 birds species, 30 reptile species, 15 amphibians, 14 native fish and many species of invertebrates. Some key fauna within they park that are endangered are the Northern and Southern Corroboree frog, Broad-toothed rat, Mountain pygmy-possum and Eastern pygmy-possum. There are a number of invasive species within the park, most notably wild horses which have sparked controversy about where they should be allowed in the park and what number their population should be kept at to ensure minimal damaging effect on the natural habitats. 

Brumby Management and Habitat Conservation

Kosciuszko brumby control plan removes 334 horses but environmentalists say it's not enough - ABC News

The Australian landscape particularly in the sub-alpine and alpine climates are not designed for large mammals with hard hooves, making the KNP very susceptible to degradation and erosion from trampling by brumbies. Brumbies are known to kill vegetation and disturb the soil creating paths along frequently used routes void of plants. They spread weeds and cause the collapse of wildlife burrows ruining the habitat of native species. To conserve the native habitats of Kosciuszko the removal of brumbies is the most effective method. Since recovery of vegetation in Kosciuszko can take decades, the protection of these habitats is essential to preserving the endangered species that occupy the KNP landscape.

Kosciuszko Conservation Podcast

This podcast by the host Nick Hardiman discusses the topic of Brumby management within the park joined by an expert in the field. The key points mentioned are the current boundaries for the horses within the park, why horses in the park are bad and what species they endanger, the morality of the aerial culling method. Below is a link to the podcast titled Kosciuszko Conservation

https://rss.com/podcasts/koscuizko-conservation/2029732  

Stakeholders 

Conservation Groups

Their are multiple organisations that advocate for the protection of the KNP natural habitats against brumbies. Some of the main groups involved are the Invasive Species Council[21], Australian Conservation Foundation[22], Reclaim Kosci[23], and more. These groups often voice the concerns of the local communities within Kosciuszko and are put in place to ensure that the value of KNP is not overlooked considering it has many endangered species and has great cultural value. 

Government Agencies

The NSW government is in charge of creating laws and regulations surrounding the park. The governments decisions on what bills are to be made into acts are meant to represent the people of NSW however members need to decide on the choice between preserving brumbies or the natural habitats. This is a difficult choice for them as they rely on the information that is fed to them from the Australian Public Service[24] (APS) and sometimes voices are not heard when making these decisions as the APS is a government agency. 

Brumby Advocacy Groups

Australian Brumby Alliance[25] and Snowy Mountains Brumby Sustainability & Management Groups[26] are both key organisations that fight for the fair treatment of brumbies across Australia. These groups are responsible for ensuring that the management of brumbies within KNP are ethical as well as provide rehoming opportunities for these horses to reduce culling. They advocate and raise awareness for the sustainability of horses in places like KNP highlighting their cultural heritage to the Snowy Mountains region. 

References: 

[1] Kosciuszko National Park | NSW National Parks. (n.d.). NSW National Parks. https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/kosciuszko-national-park

[2] Wikipedia contributors. (2025, March 18). New South Wales. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_South_Wales

[3] The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2025, March 24). Snowy Mountains | Australia, Map, location, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Snowy-Mountains

[4] Wikipedia contributors. (2025, March 2). Mount Kosciuszko. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kosciuszko

[5] Wikipedia contributors. (2025, February 6). Brumby. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brumby

[6] Wikipedia contributors. (2024, November 26). Deputy Premier of New South Wales. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deputy_Premier_of_New_South_Wales

[7] The Hon. (John) Giovanni Domenic BARILARO. (n.d.). https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/Pages/member-details.aspx?pk=85

[8] Bills - NSW legislation. (n.d.). https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/browse/bills

[9] Contributors to Wikimedia projects. (2023, March 24). Subalpine zone. Simple English Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subalpine_zone

[10] Contributors to Wikimedia projects. (2023, March 24). Subalpine zone. Simple English Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subalpine_zone

[11] Wikipedia contributors. (2025, March 17). Alpine climate. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_climate

[12] Wikipedia contributors. (2025, March 5). Corroboree frog. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corroboree_frog

[13] Wikipedia contributors. (2024, March 9). Pygmy possum. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_possum

[14] Wikipedia contributors. (2024, October 1). Broad-toothed mouse. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad-toothed_mouse

[15] Wikipedia contributors. (2023, January 2). Alpine she-oak slender bluetongue. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_she-oak_slender_bluetongue

[16] Wikipedia contributors. (2023, January 20). Walgalu. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walgalu

[17] Wikipedia contributors. (2024, July 3). Ngarigo. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngarigo

[18] Wikipedia contributors. (2024, April 30). Eucalyptus pauciflora. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus_pauciflora

[19] Alpine Herbfields | NSW Environment, Energy and Science. (n.d.). https://threatenedspecies.bionet.nsw.gov.au/VegClass?vegclassname=Alpine+Herbfields&habitat=C

[20] Wikipedia contributors. (2023, March 26). Cushion plant. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cushion_plant

[21] Wikipedia contributors. (2025, March 8). Cattle. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle

[22] Invasive Species Council. (2025, March 22). Protecting Australia’s natural environment from invasive species. https://invasives.org.au/

[23] Australian Conservation Foundation. (n.d.). Australian Conservation Foundation. https://www.acf.org.au/

[24] Reclaim Kosci. (n.d.). Reclaim Kosci - join us and help reclaim Kosciuszko National Park. https://reclaimkosci.org.au/

[25] Wikipedia contributors. (2024, September 22). Australian Public Service. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Public_Service

[26] Australian Brumby Alliance – Promoting and protecting Australian Brumbies living in sustainable numbers. (2025, March 21). https://australianbrumbyalliance.org.au/

[27] Editor. (n.d.). Snowy Brumby Support Group. Snowy Brumby Support Group. https://snowybrumby.wordpress.com/

 

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