NSW Parliament holds off weaker gun laws while protecting Kosciuszko National Park
The NSW Parliament has finished its final sitting week of 2025 with a double win for the environment and invasive species management, with a bill from the Shooters Party to weaken gun laws failing to get through, and the repeal of the laws protecting invasive species in the Kosciuszko National Park passing the Upper House late into the last sitting day of the year.
The NSW Upper House refused to change rules governing debate times on Wednesday evening after the Labor Government attempted to ram through their agreed gun law changes with the Shooters Party. The next day, during Government time, the Parliament agreed that the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Repeal Bill should be debated until finished, and has now passed both houses of the NSW Parliament.
Greens MP, Solicitor and spokesperson for the environment Sue Higginson said,
“The net result of what has happened this week, with these two bills, is a phenomenal win for the community and for the environment,”
“While the Shooters’ publicly funded gun lobby was supported by the Labor Government and Premier Chris Minns, the Parliament has refused to give in to those demands, and refused to weaken our gun laws and undermine invasive species control,”
“The repeal of the legal protections for damaging feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park has righted a wrong committed by the Former Deputy Premier John Barilaro,”
“It was an obscene misuse of power and Government when the Nationals legislated for the protection of an invasive species in our only alpine National Park, but it has now been made right because Labor and the Liberals, with others finally joined the Greens to get this done,”
“Both of these wins ultimately go to the community. Each of these bills attracted incredible attention for different reasons, and it’s clear from the feedback we’ve had that the bill with community support to protect Kosci has passed, while the fringe interests of the gun lobby have been sent off till next year. I couldn’t be happier,” Ms Higginson said.