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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 9 Hansard (21 August) . . Page.. 2748 ..

(2) The use of 1080 poison baits is only permissible when authorised by an Authorised Control Officer from within Environment ACT. This officer establishes the need for the use of baits and provides them to lessees who must sign an indemnity form to agree to the conditions of use. Any baits not used during the program must return them to the Authorised Control Officer. There were 28 authorised fox control programs conducted on rural leases in 2001/02.

(3) The number of 1080 baiting programs is expected to remain similar to the previous year: approximately 10.5 gram of active ingredient.

(4&5) 1080 is used under permit issued by the National Registration Authority and must follow strict guidelines for use. The permit conditions specify requirements for lessees to advise their neighbours when baiting is to occur, distances from habitation and notification on all property fences. As previously mentioned all baits must be issued by an Authorised Control Officer within Environment ACT.

(6) The following monitoring is undertaken to assist in identifying non target impacts

▪ All poison baits placed below a minimum of 10cm of soil depth. Canids will dig for the baits, most native animals will not.

▪ Sand pads are routinely placed around permanent bait stations so that animals visiting the baits can be determined by their footprints.

▪ Spotlight counts of animals are regularly taken in reserve areas where baiting occurs.

▪ Environment ACT is currently investigating the use of sensor cameras at bait stations. These cameras will further assist to determine whether non target of animals are visiting baits stations, and consuming baits.

(7) 1080 baiting is generally used as part of an integrated control program which may incorporate other methods of control such as trapping or fencing. Other toxins including cyanide, and strychnine which have been proposed for use in other parts of Australia have not been considered for use in the ACT due to health and safety or animal welfare concerns over their use.

Other toxins have been used in preference to 1080 for non canid species control in the ACT. For example the poison Pindone is generally used in preference to 1080 in ACT rabbit control programs, and Warfarin is used in pig baiting programs. Whilst 1080 is widely used in rabbit and pig control programs elsewhere these alternatives have been selected for use in the ACT based on their toxicity to the target pest or to improve operator and public safety.

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