Information for landholders
- If you are an owner or occupier of private land used for agricultural purposes and need to manage native game birds, you can apply for a NSW Native Game Bird Management (Owner/Occupier) Licence. There is no fee for this licence.
- Owner/Occupier licences are issued for one year and expire on 31 August each year.
- Once you hold a management licence, you can:
- find volunteer hunters by using the Hunter and Landholder registers, or
- apply for your own NSW Game Hunting Licence after you complete the Waterfowl Identification Test so you can manage native game birds yourself.
A landholder licence can only be issued for sustainable agricultural management purposes, which means native game birds must be impacting agricultural lands and a management licence will contribute positively to farm, regional and the State's productivity and economy; and will also adaptively manage and enhance biological and physical resources while supporting the State's regional and rural communities.
How to apply for an owner/occupier licence
Ricegrowers - apply through SunRice
- Opt-in for a Native Game Bird Management Licence on your SunRice Rice Seed Order Form & Paddy Supply Offer.
- Check you meet the declaration points listed on the Crop Seed Circular. You are making a legal declaration when you opt-in for a licence.
- Select a species allocation from the three options.
SunRice's Crop Seed Circular contains important information about Native Game Bird Management Licences, declarations and the three options for species allocation. Please read the circular before opting-in on your order form. Email gamebirds@dpi.nsw.gov.au if you need more information.
DPI Hunting will determine an appropriate total licence allocation listing the number and type of native game birds that can be harvested under your licence. This may include assessing previous hunter harvest return data and historical impacts.
When you opt-in, SunRice provides NSW DPI relevant information recorded on your rice seed order form as well as your property spatial information.
Other landholders (non-rice growers)
- Fill out Form GB-B Application for a Native Game Bird Management Licence (Owner/occupier) (PDF, 98.57 KB).
Form GB-B requires you to:
- provide some details for each property where native game birds are to be hunted (you can list multiple properties on a single licence)
- list the impacts and estimated size of native game bird populations on each property, which will help determine your total licence allocation
- read, understand and sign the mandatory declaration questions.
Submit your form to the Wildlife Management Team by emailing gamebirds@dpi.nsw.gov.au.
Quotas and total licence allocations
Before native game birds can be hunted there must be an approved State-wide quota in place and a total licence allocation applied to an owner/occupier licence.
Visit the quota page to find out more about allocations of native game bird species.
Need volunteer hunters?
Hunter Register
You can access an online register of volunteer hunters who are available to assist landholders holding an owner/occupier licence.
Licensed hunters can list their contact information on a register, along with their available dates and regions they're able to travel to.
- Access the volunteer Hunter Register on the Native Game Bird Landholder Portal
Landholder Register
If you would prefer that volunteer hunters contact you for permission to hunt native game birds, you can add your details to the Landholder Register. Licensed hunters are able to access this register by logging in to online licence holder services with their licence number and security PIN.
Complete and submit Form GB-L - Native Game Bird Management Licence - Landholder Register (PDF, 99.9 KB) to authorise your listing.
Add your contact details to the Landholder Register (PDF, 99.9 KB). The register is voluntary and you may add or remove your details at any time.
Hunting rules
You must be satisfied, before giving permission to a hunter to kill native game birds under the authority of your owner/occupier licence, that they hold a NSW Game Hunting Licence that is endorsed for the program.
Licensed hunters who volunteer under the program must comply with special native game bird hunting licence conditions and other hunting rules.
Manage native game birds yourself
There is no fee to attempt the WIT and apply for a NSW General Game Hunting Licence for landholders who hold a Native Game Bird Management (Owner/Occupier) Licence. This includes for members of the landholder's household and employees.
- Complete the Waterfowl Identification Test (WIT)
- Email your interest to gamebirds@dpi.nsw.gov.au.
- Apply for a NSW Game Hunting Licence
- Comply with the special native game bird licence conditions in addition to your owner/occupier licence and general hunting licence conditions.
The requirement for landholders to hold both a management licence as well as a hunting licence if they wish to target native game birds personally ensures that all individuals who hunt under the program can identify target game birds and protected species, and that they are subject to the NSW Game Hunting Licence Code of Practice.
Support services
DPI Hunting Wildlife Management Support Team
- E: gamebirds@dpi.nsw.gov.au.
- P: 02 6363 7650
The team can:
- provide information to licensed hunters on the approved number and species of native game birds they may hunt on properties covered by your owner/occupier licence
- ensure licensed hunters comply with submitting their harvest returns in a timely manner
- track and monitor native game birds harvests according to your total licence allocation
- contact you when your allocation is near exhaustion.
