SYDNEY, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- The New South Wales (NSW) state government in Australia will now allow all licensed firearm holders to hunt deer without a permit on private land.
The decision to ease the strict game-hunting laws was made to keep the deer population in check, with numbers of this animal surging over the past decade.
"The NSW deer population has exploded in recent years and these feral animals are not only causing grief for farmers battling drought - they're encroaching on urban areas and creating a hazard for motorists too," NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said on Friday.
"As it stands, landholders are fighting these feral animals with one hand tied behind their back. It simply doesn't make sense for deer to have a semi-protected status while their population is soaring."
"Removing game status will give landholders more flexibility to manage deer and will bring its classification into line with other feral animals such as wild dogs, foxes, rabbits and pigs."
With statewide distribution of deer increasing from 8 to 17 percent in the past 10 years, NSW Member of Parliament Leslie Williams explained that in some areas, like her electorate of Port Macquarie on the mid north coast of Australia, the rapidly increasing numbers of the animal have become a "significant issue."
"They're damaging farms, causing grief for motorists and encroaching on residential properties," she said.
"I spoke in Parliament in May on the need for something to be done about the deer and our community has been calling for this change."
"I'm glad the NSW government has listened and will empower landholders to better manage deer."
The new laws will come into effect on Sept. 6.
