General News
22 November, 2020
TRC wraps up baiting program.
The Tablelands Regional Council has just wrapped up their baiting campaign targeting wild dogs using the controversial 1080 poison.
The Tablelands Regional Council (TRC) has just wrapped up their baiting campaign targeting wild dogs using the controversial 1080 poison.
Sodium fluoroacetate (1080) is a highly poisonous substance that is used to control agricultural and environmental pests.
The Program began on Saturday, November 14 and wrapped up Friday, November 20.
The baiting campaign is a joint initiative between the (TRC) and the Malanda Beef Plan Group and is aimed at targeting feral dogs in the northeast part of the council region.
According to the TRC’s website the term “wild dog refers collectively to purebred dingoes, dingo hybrids and domestic dogs that have escaped or been deliberately released. In Queensland, wild dogs create a number of economic, environmental and social problems — particularly for agriculture.”
In October the TRC asked for expressions of interest in the program via social media with 45 landowners registering for the program.
Mark Vis, General Manager Infrastructure and Planning at the TRC said some of the people that have multiple properties so around 60 properties are taking part.
“Each property receives 20 baits, the properties are generally in the Millaa Millaa, Malanda, Tarzali and Evelyn areas,” he said.
The highly toxic, odourless pesticide which has no antidote and is used by the Australian government and private landholders to kill introduced animals they deemed to be pests, which include dingoes, foxes, cats, rabbits, pigs, and in some cases, native wildlife.
After the post went public many people vented their frustration with the council using 1080.
Jayne Svetanoski wrote “BAN 1080, please STOP laying these horrific poison 1080 baits!
1080 has NO place in our society. No living creature should have to endure a horrific death via this.”
Dedan Hughan wrote “Ban 1080! It kills everything that comes into contact with it!! It targets every animal, even natives.”
And Tara Yo said “There is nowhere rural enough in the Tablelands Regional Council that would deem it safe from birds picking up these baits and dropping them into paddocks and semi-residential areas. It is a slow painful traumatic death for any animal.”
Mr Vis said that the risk to native animals is minimised when the legal requirements of 1080 are met. These include tying down or burying the baits to minimise the risk of birds or native animals taking them, erecting warning signs and notifying neighbours within a certain distance that 1080-laced baits have been laid in the area. Poisoned carcasses and untouched baits have to be retrieved and disposed of immediately at the end of the program.
Mr Vis said that as new methods become available the council would be open to trying new options. ”1080 may not be an ideal way to control wild dogs, however, it is a legal pest control method in Australia and landholders request it due to the cost efficiency and significant reduction in wild dog populations,” he said.
“Landholders who opt out of the program should actively engage alternative methods to control wild dogs on their properties.
“As new methods become available we will promote the change to more accurate, effective and humane options.”
