2023 Murray Fox Baiting Program

COVID-19: Important information about receiving fox baits

Please follow COVID-safe protocols, and if you are feeling unwell please do not attend bait pickup. Your Biosecurity Officer will arrange a date for you to collect your baits at a later time.

Invasive species have no place in our landscape. The ability and responsibility to manage feral animals rest with every land manager. Feral Fighters are local landholders who work together in groups to bait and control pest animals. They bait simultaneously to cover a wide area, which results in a better knockdown.

By participating to become a Feral Fighter you will receive

• Free vertebrate pesticide induction training (now available online)
• 2 x free 1080 corflute fox signs per participant
• 2 x free biosecurity farm gate signs per participant per year
• Rabbit control - access to free RHDV K5 viability testing for group participants
• Up to date information and support from Murray Local Land Services.

I DON’T HAVE LIVESTOCK. WHY SHOULD I BAIT IN AUTUMN?

Foxes target lambs and lambing ewes during Autumn. Foxes cause stress to breeding ewes and can reduce lambing percentages.

The economic impact of pest animals is estimated to be $170 million in NSW. This affects all landholders, including croppers.

Pests cause significant damage to crops, pastures, trees, natural landscapes and native animals.

WHAT ARE MY RESPONSIBILITIES?

All land managers have a General Biosecurity Duty under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015. This duty requires that anyone who knows or ought to reasonably know about a biosecurity risk has a duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise that risk as far as reasonably practicable.

Under the Act you may be issued with a Biosecurity Undertaking or a Biosecurity Direction should you fail to comply with your General Biosecurity Duty. It is important to note, as a land manager you also have biosecurity obligations to your neighbours.

HOW DO I COLLECT BAITS?

You must call the Biosecurity Officer listed for your chosen location at least three days beforehand. They will step you through what you need to know about bait collection.

• On the day it’s vital you have a safe way of transporting your baits home - they can’t be in the vicinity of children, animals or foodstuff. Many landholders lock them in a toolbox on the tray of the ute.
• You also need to bring your current certification card. Free online 1080 and Pindone training is available.

WHAT TRAINING DO I NEED?

We run a short training course regularly which allow you to use 1080 and Pindone baits on your property. The three-hour course gives you a clear understanding of 1080 and Pindone use and their legal obligations. The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) chemical application courses remain a requirement for use of any other pesticide.

The training courses are delivered by Local Land Services Biosecurity Officers and cover topics such as baiting techniques, toxicity, storage, transport, legislation and Work Health and Safety. Those completing the course will be issued a certification card and will remain accredited to use 1080 and Pindone for five years. No fee is charged to ratepayers for the course.

Any landholder interested in attending the 1080 and Pindone training course should contact their local Biosecurity Officer for details of when and where courses are being held, scheduled dates and times are listed below.

This course is also available free and online. Find out more about online training.

Find your closest bait collection point

Albury and surrounds

Deniliquin and surrounds

Holbrook and surrounds

Jerilderie and surrounds

Moulamein and surrounds

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?

• You must call the contact listed for the location you wish to attend - they will help you order your baits and step you through what you need to know.
• All baits must be ordered a minimum 3 days before collection date.
• Cost of Fox baits all locations - $0.50c per wing or $1.00 per red meat/offal bait. A minimum $10.00 charge for invoicing.
• Commercially prepared Foxoff baits are available, please contact our offices for current prices.

Vertebrate Pesticide Induction Training – dates and locations

Free online training is also available.

Bait pick up times and locations

Albury and surrounds

All baits must be ordered a minimum of 3 days prior to the collection date. To place an order contact: Stephen Wilson (0427 362 618).

Deniliquin and surrounds

All baits must be ordered a minimum of 3 days prior to the collection date. During the program, baits will be available from the Deniliquin office every Wednesday and Friday, by appointment only.

To place an order contact: Zac Pearce (0428 629 336), Chris Mulham (0400 000 851), or our Deniliquin office (03 5881 9900).

Holbrook and surrounds

All baits must be ordered a minimum of 3 days prior to the collection date. To place an order contact: Cameron Odewahn (0400 411 091)

Jerilderie and surrounds

All baits must be ordered a minimum of 3 days prior to the collection date. During the program, baits will be available from the Jerilderie office every Wednesday and Friday, by appointment only.

To place an order contact: Stuart Watson (0427 010 894), Roger Harris (0427 010 892).

Moulamein and surrounds

To place an order contact: Chris Lucas (0429 951 221).

Baiting on travelling stock reserves (TSRs) and public lands

Murray Local Land Services undertakes baiting on our managed TSRs during autumn and spring. These coordinated baiting programs coincide with group baiting programs which enhance the effectiveness of targeted fox control.

Public land managers such as Forestry Corporation and National Parks and Wildlife also undergo extensive coordinated fox and wild dog control programs to reduce the impacts foxes and wild dogs.

Priority pest species

The Murray Regional Strategic Pest Animal Management Plan was published in July 2018.

The plan details priority pest species for the Murray region and lists both primary and secondary control measures for each species. Our priority species are:

• European fox
• Feral cat
• Feral goat
• Feral pig
• Wild deer
• Wild dog
• Wild horse
• Wild rabbit
• Common carp.

Read more here or visit your closest Murray Local Land Services office to pick up a hard copy.

We can help you to manage pest animals. Please contact your local office so we can put you in touch with your local Biosecurity Officer.

Your responsibilities

The NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 is a new piece of legislation that allows improved management of biosecurity risks in NSW to enable landholders, community, industry and Government to effectively manage and respond to biosecurity incursions and risks.

A fundamental principle of the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 is that biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility. All land managers, regardless of whether on private or public land, have the same responsibilities. Likewise, the general community have a role to play in reducing risks through their activities and as ‘eyes and ears’ on the lookout   for any potential new risks. A general biosecurity duty under the Act requires that anyone who knows or ought to reasonably know about a biosecurity risk has a duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise that risk as far as reasonably practicable.

The NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 includes a number of advisory and regulatory tools that can be used to manage biosecurity risks such as pest animals in NSW. Landholders, industry and community should be familiar with these tools and what they require of them in their daily practices.
Further information on the NSW Biosecurity legislation can be found at the NSW DPI website.

Fox Dog Lotto

You could win a prize!

Fox Dog Lotto is an annual competition which promotes the extensive pest control landholders carry out and to show the wider community the importance of collaborative pest management.

Landholders can enter by either buying baits.

• When you pick up your baits, we’ll enter you automatically!
• Competition opens 24th September 2022 through to 20th September 2023 – Henty Field Days.
• Terms and conditions apply
• Grand prize is a $2000 store credit from your preferred local rural supplier
• There are also weekly prizes of bags of dog food which are drawn during the group baiting period.