NSW environment regulator issued one fine across 117 recorded breaches of deadly 1080 poison rules, government data reveals

Government data obtained under freedom of information laws reveals that the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) issued just one financial penalty across 117 recorded breaches of the state's 1080 poison regulations over nearly five years — a penalty rate of less than one per cent.

The data, released by the NSW EPA in response to a Government Information (Public Access) (GIPA) request lodged by the Coalition Against 1080 Poison, documents enforcement outcomes for all reported breaches of the Pesticide Control (1080 Bait Products) Order 2020 between January 2020 and October 2024. Of the 117 recorded cases, 93 resulted in no action whatsoever. Twenty-six received only an advisory letter. Four received a formal warning. Two received an official caution. One was fined.

Sixty-seven of the 117 cases — 57 per cent — involved the confirmed death or injury of a non-target animal. Not one of those cases resulted in a penalty notice.

Sodium fluoroacetate — known as 1080 — is a Schedule 7 Dangerous Poison used across rural and peri-urban NSW to kill foxes, feral pigs, rabbits, and what authorities classify as wild dogs. Its use is governed by a detailed regulatory order that mandates neighbour notification, public warning signage, minimum buffer distances from residences and water sources, mandatory record-keeping, and strict bait density limits. Breaches carry maximum penalties of $60,000 for individuals and $120,000 for corporations under the Pesticides Act 1999.

The GIPA data shows the maximum penalty has effectively never been applied. The single fine on record represents a financial deterrent of near-zero for operators who breach notification and signage rules — the two failures most directly linked to the poisoning of domestic dogs.

The geographic spread of breaches underscores the scale of the problem. Central Coast recorded the highest number of breaches in the state at eight — a peri-urban zone where residential properties directly border baiting areas. Not one of those eight cases resulted in a penalty notice. Inverell Shire recorded six; Armidale Regional, Bega Valley, Clarence Valley, Walcha, and Upper Lachlan Shire each recorded five. Across the twelve highest-breach local government areas in the state, the penalty notice count is zero.

The Coalition Against 1080 Poison has published the full EPA1058A dataset at ban1080.org.au/demand-epa-accountability. Information access requests replicating the GIPA framework have also been lodged with the equivalent regulatory agencies in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, and the Northern Territory.

The EPA announced in late 2025 a proposed organisational restructure involving the net reduction of 75 staff roles — approximately eight per cent of its ongoing workforce — citing budget sustainability. The Coalition has raised concerns that reductions to regional compliance capacity will further diminish the agency's ability to investigate time-sensitive pesticide breaches.