The Hidden Cruelty of 1080 Poison Across NSW

Every year across New South Wales, a silent killer seeps through the bush: sodium fluoroacetate, more commonly known as 1080 poison. Government agencies and land managers spread these baits across national parks and public lands in the name of “pest control.” But for the native animals, domestic pets, and endangered species caught in the crossfire, the result is unthinkable suffering.

The updated Toxic Territories map, just released by the Coalition Against 1080 Poison, exposes the staggering scale of this state-sanctioned cruelty. It uses official government data to show 263 active baiting programs currently underway across NSW, including inside 182 national parks. This isn’t just a policy failure. It’s a widespread animal welfare crisis hidden in plain sight.

What Is 1080 and Why Is It So Controversial?

1080 is one of the few poisons that causes prolonged, extreme suffering before death. Once ingested, it triggers violent convulsions, vomiting, and seizures that can last for hours. There is no antidote. There is no mercy.

The idea is to kill “pests”, usually native dingoes, but the reality is far more brutal and indiscriminate. Animals like wedge-tailed eagles, goannas, and the endangered Spotted-tailed Quoll regularly die after scavenging poisoned carcasses. So too do beloved pets, like Doble, a border collie who died in agony before her owners’ eyes after unknowingly encountering 1080 on public land.

This isn’t control. It’s collateral damage. And it’s legal.

The Map That Demands Change

The interactive Toxic Territories map allows anyone to search and see where 1080 is currently being used, in your community, in the parks you hike, and in the landscapes meant to protect Australia’s precious biodiversity.

It’s more than a tool, it’s a call to action. Every baiting zone is clickable. Every data point is shareable. And every dot on that map represents real animals, real suffering, and real risks to the environment.

The map empowers you to:

• See the scope – Find out which national parks, public lands, and regions are being baited.

• Get the facts – Access evidence to support advocacy, questions to decision-makers, and complaints to agencies.

• Share the truth – Shine a spotlight on what’s being done in the dark.

Why It Matters

Conservation and cruelty cannot coexist. Yet NSW continues to deploy a method that’s already banned in most countries due to its inherent inhumanity. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has acknowledged the suffering caused by 1080 but continues to authorise its use, largely out of bureaucratic inertia and political convenience.

But the tide is turning. With new tools like this map, the public has what it needs to fight back with facts, visibility, and action.

What You Can Do

• Visit Toxic Territories and search your local area.

• Share the map on social media and tag decision-makers.

• Contact your local MP or council and ask where they stand on 1080 use.

• Support organisations pushing for humane, science-based alternatives.

Australia has a unique and fragile ecosystem. It deserves better than this outdated, indiscriminate approach. So do the animals who call it home, and the people trying to protect them.

It’s time to end 1080 baiting.