Feral pig control

Feral pig control across Queensland is getting a serious leg-up, with more than $2 million in funding secured to help tackle the problem head-on. 

The investment includes five new feral pig coordinators working across eight key regions, including right here in the Burdekin Dry Tropics—thanks to grants through the Queensland Feral Pest Initiative (QFPI). They’re based in Mt Isa, Longreach, Mareeba, Cairns, and Townsville.

Chris Corder from NQ Dry Tropics, pictured third from right, has stepped into the role of regional pig management coordinator for our patch. He’s one of several on-the-ground coordinators backed by the Feral Pig Coordination Project under the Biosecurity Preparedness program. 

The project is a team effort led by a group of regional NRM organisations, including Desert Channels Queensland, Southern Gulf NRM, Cape York, Gulf Savannah, Terrain NRM, Reef Catchments, and NQ Dry Tropics. Together, they cover a massive 66 per cent of the state—around 1.2 million square kilometres—and some of the worst-affected feral pig hotspots in the country.

Each group is hosting a part-time Feral Pig Coordinator until June 2027, who’ll focus on ramping up local capacity and getting regional control efforts humming. Coordinators will be working closely with landholders, Traditional Owners, Land and Sea Rangers, industry, and government to roll out a coordinated, landscape-scale response—guided by the Feral Pig Action Plan.

The goal is to get more people involved, boost biosecurity preparedness, and help everyone work smarter, not harder, when it comes to managing feral pigs. That means fewer pigs, less damage to crops, country, and culture, and better tools in place to respond if disease outbreaks occur.