In a move not dissimilar to New York City's search for a "rat tsar", NSW is looking for its very own pest pig chief.
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The meddlesome hogs are officially on notice as the state grapples with an explosion in feral pig numbers which farmers say are at crisis level.
The state's first-ever 'Feral Pig Coordinator' will oversee a $13 million control program to tackle the swine blowout announced by Premier Chris Minns last month.
The program is aimed at reducing the rising number of feral pigs running amok on prime agricultural land.
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Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said the program's new commander should have experience managing and implementing broadscale pest animal control programs.
With a starting salary from $116,211 - not including super and leave entitlements - the ideal candidate should also have "exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement skills".
The 2023-24 control program will be delivered by state agency Local Land Services, which will ramp up aerial shooting and ground control activities in areas with high-density feral pig populations.
It will also deliver training to landholders to control the feral animals on their properties.
More than 97,000 feral pigs have been culled across the state over the past year but farmers estimate there are millions more.
Mr Minns said numbers are on the rise.
"The feral pig population has increased substantially over recent years, causing millions of dollars worth of damage in lost agricultural production and environmental degradation," he told a farming conference last month.
A 2020 estimate put the number across Australia at 3.2 million, but the real figure is believed to be much higher.
NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin said years of high rainfall had resulted in millions of feral pigs breeding.
He said the increase meant more attacks on native animals and livestock, as well as massive damage to crops and infrastructure.
"From the Western Riverina through the Central West and up into the Northern Tablelands, we're hearing members tell us they've never seen pigs this bad before," Mr Martin said.
Australian Associated Press
