Public Land Hunting Community Awareness
DPI Hunting is responsible for the administration of public land hunting in NSW. This includes hunter licensing, hunter education, assessing compliance of game hunters and enforcing hunting regulations.
This page provides information for the public and users of NSW State forests about legal hunting on public land in NSW and how it is managed.
Licensed hunting on public land
Legal hunting can occur on public land that has been 'declared' for hunting by the Minister responsible for the lands. There are signs at the entrance to State forests and other public lands that are open for hunting which advise forest users that licensed hunting may be undertaken in the area.
Hunting and the community
DPI Hunting works closely with local communities, public land managers, the NSW Police Force and other agencies to regulate licensed hunting and deter illegal hunting on public land in NSW.
Hunters share State forests with many other users, such as trail bike riders, mushroom pickers and bushwalkers, as well as forestry staff and contractors. In addition, State forests are often surrounded by local properties and houses.
Hunting and State forests
State forests are working forests which are managed by the Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW). The forests accommodate a range of recreational activities, primary production such as grazing and apiary, and timber harvesting. FCNSW carefully balances community access and environmental management with operations to supply timber to the NSW economy. Recreational hunting is a mutually beneficial part of this balance.
Licensed hunters
Public land hunting regulations in NSW are some of the most stringent in Australia, and internationally.
Hunters require a NSW Restricted Game Hunting Licence (R-Licence) to hunt on declared public land. To obtain an R-licence, hunters must complete and accreditation course based on hunter safety, ethics, animal welfare and hunting techniques and be a member of an Approved Hunting Organisation (AHO) which has a constitution and a disciplinary framework for its members.
An individual wishing to hunt with a firearm must also have completed theoretical and practical firearms licence assessment requirements prescribed by the NSW Police Force, or their equivalent.
The hunting risk assessment
Forestry Corporation completed the first risk assessment of hunting in State forests in 2005 and it is reviewed and updated each year.
The risk assessment was completed to international risk management standards and was informed by a stakeholder reference group containing risk management experts and representatives from a range of stakeholder groups such as the Crown Solicitors Office, NSW Government agencies and workplace unions.
You can view the risk assessment on the Forestry Corporation website.
