Speaking to the BDN, a DPI spokesperson said they “cannot disclose the areas of surveillance patrols this coming long weekend as this may jeopardise the compliance operation”.

“State forests throughout NSW, including those in the South East, are subject to ongoing compliance operations including patrols and monitoring through the use of surveillance cameras,” the spokesperson said.

“With the reopening of State Forests for hunting, there is a focus on safety and education and as part of the weekend’s operations we will be checking that licensed hunters comply with all the new regulations.

“This includes holding a license and current permit, as well as carrying a working GPS device with detailed mapping data installed."

The spokesperson said they did not believe the increased crowds coming to Narooma for HuntFest would impact on their operation.

“The DPI Game Licensing Unit has no reason to believe that the HuntFest event will impact on compliance operations,” they said.

“The running of the event is a matter for the event organisers.” 

DPI Game Licensing Unit manager regulatory services Troy Hogarth said NSW enforces strict, non-negotiable rules in relation to hunting.

He said the enforcement of new requirements introduced earlier this year is also a key component of the long weekend operation.

“June long weekend is typically a busy hunting weekend, and more than 200 forests will be open for licensed hunting activities,” Mr Hogarth said. 

“We take all reports of illegal hunting very seriously and investigate reports thoroughly.

“It’s important that people do not approach hunters in a State Forests, instead if they believe the activity is illegal, they are advised to report their concerns to Crime Stoppers as soon as it occurs.”

If people witness what they believe to be illegal hunting they can report the activity to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.