The Wire

Environmentalists are calling on Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenburg to protect New South Wales’ alpine environment from feral horses as a bill protecting them passed on Wednesday night.

The call from the Australian Conservation Foundation comes after a letter was published by the Australian Academy of Science urging the New South Wales parliament to reconsider the bill that will give the horses heritage status.

But the New South Wales government says the legislation strikes the right balance between the environment and protection of an iconic species.