NSW Department of Primary Industries

Information for landholders

More topics in this section
  • For management of native game birds on your land - apply for a NSW Native Game Bird Management (Owner/Occupier) Licence.
    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 and complete the Waterfowl Identification Test so you can manage native game birds yourself.

There is no fee for a NSW Native Game Bird Management (Owner/Occupier) Licence.

The NSW Native Game Bird Management Program allows licensed, responsible volunteer hunters to help landholders manage the impacts of native game birds over their agricultural lands.

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 a management licence

Ricegrowers - apply through SunRice

Information about Native Game Bird Management Licences and the three options for species allocation is available in SunRice's Crop Seed Circular (PDF, 668.74 KB), which we recommend you read before opting in on your order form.

The Wildlife Management Team may need to contact you to discuss the information provided to us by SunRice. Allocation increases and addition of species can be made by contacting the Wildlife Management Team.

When a landholder opts-in, SunRice provides NSW DPI the relevant information recorded on their rice seed order form as well as some property spatial information so a management licence and property allocations may be issued.

Other landholders

Form GB-B requires you to:

  • nominate the licence term, which can be from one to five years. (You still need to apply for annual property allocations though, PDF, 105.66 KB.)
  • provide details for each property where native game birds are to be removed (you can list all of your properties on a licence).
  • list the impacts and request an allocation of native game birds to be removed from each property, which will help determine your property species allocations.
  • read, understand and sign the declaration.

Submit your form to the Wildlife Management Team who will assess and process your application.

Quotas and allocations

Before native game birds can be hunted on land covered by a management licence, there must be an approved State-wide quota and species allocation for that property.

Visit the quota page to find out more about allocations of native game bird species.

Find volunteer hunters

Hunter Register

You can access an online register of volunteer hunters who are available to assist landholders holding a management licence.

Licensed hunters who seek a property for native game bird hunting are invited to list their contact information on a register, along with their available dates and regions they're able to travel to.

To access the Hunter Register, login to Online licence holder services using your NGB licence number and security pin, then select the Native Game Bird Management Portal - Landholder.

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, 52.8 KB) to authorise your listing. The register is voluntary and you may add or remove your details at any time.

Express authority to hunt

Licensed hunters need to seek your express authority (permission) to hunt before entering your land. This ensures you are aware of others on your land and that they operate in a legal, safe and responsible manner when hunting native game birds on your property.

You can give a licence holder permission to hunt on your land by whatever means is easiest for you, it doesn't have to be in writing.

Hunting rules

Licensed hunters who volunteer under the program are required to abide by special conditions and hunting rules.

Visit the Information for hunters page or read the native game bird section of the NSW Game Hunting Guide.

Manage native game birds yourself

All fees to attempt the WIT and apply for a NSW General Game Hunting Licence are waived for landholders who hold a Native Game Bird Management (Owner/Occupier) Licence. This includes for members of the landholder's household and employees.

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 Hunters' Code of Practice.

Support services

Wildlife Management Team - Albury

The team can help you with:

  • managing hunters to ensure they operate in a legal, safe and responsible manner when hunting native game birds under this program
  • tracking your native game bird property allocations and assisting you to apply for property allocation increases when they are needed
  • obtaining a NSW Game Hunting Licence and undertaking the WIT
  • waiving all licence and assessment fees for you, members of your household or employees.
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au