The New South Wales Minister for Agriculture Katrina Hodgkinson has declared war on the fox in her state, saying it's more than time that foxes were considered as destructive as feral pigs, rabbits and wild dogs.

The Minister says by instituting a pest control order on foxes the Government will give additional strength to the work that Invasive Species Co-operative Research Centre staff are already doing. Listen Duration: 2 minutes 43 seconds 2 m 43 s Listen Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. What cost the fox on the national landscape? Download 1.2 MB

Ms Hodgkinson says it's surprising that the pest control order has not been instituted in the past, and it's overdue.

"Placing a pest control order on foxes will bring their control into line with that of other threats to our environment and agricultural production, like feral pigs and feral dogs," she said.

"There will be serious penalties in place if people do not comply with the pest control orders. Penalties can be as much as $8,500."

Glen Saunders used to head up the management of invasive species with the Department of Primary Industries. He's played a role in managing the problem of the European red fox in Australia and he's recognised as being an authority on the issue.

He says the impact of foxes in Australia should not be underestimated. He says they continue to spread across the landscape. Listen Duration: 5 minutes 55 seconds 5 m Listen Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Fox specialist says the problem is growing Download 2.7 MB

"They're pretty much everywhere these days, across 97 per cent of NSW, and that includes the urban environment," he said.

"It's not just a question of them predating on native and on young farm animals, they present a grave risk in spreading disease."

Mr Saunders says a recent focus on foxes as ideal companion animals is unfortunate and unsustainable.

"They're attractive animals, I've worked with them for years, I don't dispute their appeal but they're not native. They're invasive and they are a risk to our native environment.

"They are wild animals and they don't have a place as pets in Australia."

Mr Saunders and the Minister acknowledge the fox's mystique and its heroic portrayal in children's films such as the Fox and the Hound. But they say this favourable public image by parts of the community, does not detract from the damage foxes do.

A recent fox control initiative in the central west of NSW called on members of the public to drop the tails of dead foxes into their office to go into a weekly draw for prizes and cash money.

The scheme was christened Fox Lotto and generated a huge response from landholders and rural communities. It was considered a success as a pest control tool and for community engagement.

But other central west residents were outraged by the project, about the death of foxes and about the removal of their tails.

