Our history

Reclaim Kosci was founded by the Invasive Species Council, National Parks Association of the ACT, National Parks Association of NSW, Colong Foundation for Wilderness and the Nature Conservation Council of NSW in 2018.

Since we launched our Reclaim Kosci campaign we’ve brought into sharp focus the out-of-control horse numbers in Kosciuszko National Park.

Reclaim Kosci has supported a broad chorus of community voices calling for action:

• 100 plus scientists signed the Kosciuszko Science Accord.
• More than 600 walkers helped five bushwalkers complete their 560km protest trek from Sydney to Mt Kosciuszko.
• Over 12,000 people in 2019, including more than a thousand from the Monaro electorate, and more than 15,000 people in 2021 signed petitions delivered to the NSW Parliament.
• Aboriginal people from four major western catchments held a historic Narjong Water Healing ceremony in the headwaters of the Murrumbidgee River.

The campaign has drawn a huge amount of support over a very short period of time.

There is now a massive groundswell of people who want the NSW Government to act and stop the increasing impacts of feral horses on one of Australia’s most loved national parks

We’ve continued to work tirelessly to unveil the true extent of Kosci’s horse problem:

• When the 2020 Kosciuszko feral horse survey revealed an estimated 14,000 horses were trampling Kosciuszko National Park we put the national media spotlight on the figures.
• We’ve taken politicians and media into the park to witness the damage first-hand.
• We hosted Federal environment minister Sussan Ley and environmental activist Peter Garrett on tours of the park who then called out the feral horse damage being done to Kosciuszko.
• We commissioned a poll of over 600 Eden-Monaro voters during the 2020 by-election which revealed 80% of voters understood the need for feral horse management.
• We helped premiere the independent documentary ‘Where the Water Starts‘ that puts Indigenous voices front and centre behind the call to protect Kosciuszko.
• When the draft Kosciuszko horse management plan was publicly exhibited in Oct-Nov 2021 we encouraged thousands of submissions supporting a stronger plan.

In 2021 all our hard work started to pay off.  On Thursday, 24 November 2021, then NSW environment minister Matt Kean adopted a feral horse plan for Kosciuszko National Park.

In 2022 we will continue to be a voice for reason, science and logic until the NSW government implement the new Kosciuszko horse management plan.

Our campaign will continue as we focus on:

• Holding the NSW Government to account on its commitments to reduce feral horse numbers in the park.
• Closely monitoring the rollout of management plan to ensure the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service follows through with the plan’s new tools to manage feral horses.
• Continuing to educate Australians and politicians on the effect of feral horses on Australia’s natural environment.
• Pushing for the repeal of the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act, which prioritises the protection of feral horses over our native species.

We will not give up until Kosciuszko is protected.