New permit process for wild dog control on pastoral properties

Geoff Walduck recently walked Gulf land managers through the new process for using 1080 to control dogs on pastoral properties in the NT. The new rules don’t apply to other pests such as pigs.

The administration of  “take protected wildlife 1080 pest animal control” has moved from Parks and Wildlife to the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and is now included within the “1080 Pest Animal Management Authorisation” application to create a single application to be lodged with the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

Permits are now valid for 12 months, which is longer than the previous 90 days for stand-alone “take protected wildlife” permits and shorter than the previous two years for stand-alone 1080 Pest Animal Management Authorisations. This change does not apply to other pests, so for the control of pigs, a 90 day take protected wildlife permit will still be required from Parks and Wildlife.

The Department is also planning to authorise suitably qualified land managers to inject 1080 meat baits for themselves and their neighbours as part of an organised group. This enables land managers to apply the baits more timely and increases the likelihood of regional baiting programs.

The use of 1080 is under enormous pressure from animal welfare groups. If the poison is misused, there is a large risk that the poison will be banned from use. There is no alternative to 1080. So land managers must use the poison responsibly. Geoff could not emphasize this strongly enough.

Anybody handling 1080 has to have a 1080 user authorisation. To obtain an authorisation you have to have a Chemcert 3 or a SmartTrain 3. You also have to do a vertebrate pest control program.