❓ Hon Amanda Dorn questions the Minister for the Environment regarding DBCA's 1080 baiting practices in the Exmouth and Ningaloo region, specifically concerning safety protocols and public access. The Minister responds by outlining regulations and risk assessment processes.
AnsweredQoN 122Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
1080 baiting—Exmouth and Ningaloo region
122. Hon Amanda Dorn to
the Minister for the Environment:
I refer to the 1080
baiting operations of the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and
Attractions (DBCA) in the Exmouth and Ningaloo region.
(1) What oversight mechanisms does DBCA
have in place to ensure that 1080 bait placements comply with its own safety
protocols, including requirements regarding proximity to public access areas
and sensitive wildlife habitat?
(2) Is the minister aware that in
December 2024, 1080 baits were found hanging from T-bar posts approximately 20 metres
from a public car park adjacent to turtle nesting habitat near Exmouth and that senior DBCA regional management could not account
for those placements or produce a regional distribution map?
(3) Will the minister require DBCA to
conduct a full audit of 1080 bait placement records for the Exmouth and
Ningaloo region and make a current distribution map of bait locations publicly
available and, if not, why not?
122. Hon Amanda Dorn to
the Minister for the Environment:
I refer to the 1080
baiting operations of the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and
Attractions (DBCA) in the Exmouth and Ningaloo region.
(1) What oversight mechanisms does DBCA
have in place to ensure that 1080 bait placements comply with its own safety
protocols, including requirements regarding proximity to public access areas
and sensitive wildlife habitat?
(2) Is the minister aware that in
December 2024, 1080 baits were found hanging from T-bar posts approximately 20 metres
from a public car park adjacent to turtle nesting habitat near Exmouth and that senior DBCA regional management could not account
for those placements or produce a regional distribution map?
(3) Will the minister require DBCA to
conduct a full audit of 1080 bait placement records for the Exmouth and
Ningaloo region and make a current distribution map of bait locations publicly
available and, if not, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for some notice of the question.
(1) The use of 1080
in Western Australia is regulated under the Medicines
and Poisons Act 2014 , which is administered by the Department of Health.
A rigorous risk assessment is undertaken before baiting activities are
implemented, with all 1080 baiting activities adhering to the act and the
regulations. Buffers between placement of baits and public access areas are
prescribed under the Code of Practice for Safe Use and Management of Registered
Pesticides Containing 1080, PAPP and Strychnine for vertebrate pest management
in Western Australia and are followed by the Department of Biodiversity,
Conservation and Attractions (DBCA).
(2) I am advised that the baiting
application and risk assessment for 1080 baiting on the Ningaloo coast included
tethered baits on T-bar posts to protect threatened marine turtle eggs and
hatchlings from fox predation. DBCA uses these bait-delivery devices in areas
where this is deemed appropriate according to the risk assessment requirements,
particularly to minimise bait uptake by non-target species.
(3) Maps of the areas in which DBCA
undertakes 1080 predator control are publicly available on the DBCA website.
for some notice of the question.
(1) The use of 1080
in Western Australia is regulated under the Medicines
and Poisons Act 2014 , which is administered by the Department of Health.
A rigorous risk assessment is undertaken before baiting activities are
implemented, with all 1080 baiting activities adhering to the act and the
regulations. Buffers between placement of baits and public access areas are
prescribed under the Code of Practice for Safe Use and Management of Registered
Pesticides Containing 1080, PAPP and Strychnine for vertebrate pest management
in Western Australia and are followed by the Department of Biodiversity,
Conservation and Attractions (DBCA).
(2) I am advised that the baiting
application and risk assessment for 1080 baiting on the Ningaloo coast included
tethered baits on T-bar posts to protect threatened marine turtle eggs and
hatchlings from fox predation. DBCA uses these bait-delivery devices in areas
where this is deemed appropriate according to the risk assessment requirements,
particularly to minimise bait uptake by non-target species.
(3) Maps of the areas in which DBCA
undertakes 1080 predator control are publicly available on the DBCA website.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.