Sodium fluoroacetate, commonly known as 1080 poison, a chemical used to control feral animals including foxes and wild dogs, has been banned from all Northern Beaches-managed land.
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The resolution, passed at the council’s meeting in February, comes as a live baiting program using the same chemical continues to operate in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, which borders the Palm Beach area near Barrenjoey Headland. The program, run by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and targeting foxes, is scheduled to run until 31 July.
The vote was led by Greens Councillor Ethan Hrnjak, who has been pushing for the ban since commissioning a report on humane alternatives in August 2025. Cr Hrnjak said he was pleased that a majority of councillors recognised that 1080 had no place on the Northern Beaches, describing the chemical as toxic and outdated. He stressed that 1080 was not a targeted control method and could not distinguish between a fox, a bandicoot, a goanna, a companion animal, or a raptor that scavenged a poisoned carcass.
The chemical is legal in NSW for controlling wild dogs, foxes, feral pigs and rabbits that threaten native plants and animals. It is also lethal to domestic cats and dogs, and can cause vomiting, anxiety, shaking and prolonged suffering before death.
The ban followed a local case that drew community attention. In January, a dog named Bo reportedly died after ingesting 1080. Cheryl Forrest Smith from the Coalition Against 1080 told Cr Hrnjak that Bo had frothed at the mouth, vomited, defecated, bashed through doors, run into walls and suffered convulsions. Bo’s owner Val said no animal should have to endure what Bo went through.
The report commissioned by Cr Hrnjak found that the council already used and preferred more accurate, effective and humane methods of pest control, including shooting, trapping and den fumigation. Cr Hrnjak also confirmed he had received no reports of pets dying from 1080 on council-managed land.
The ban applies only to council-managed land and does not extend to NPWS land. An NPWS spokesperson said all baiting programs were conducted in accordance with pesticide control orders and detailed risk assessments, and that operations were designed to meet statutory requirements while minimising potential impacts on native species.
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NPWS also noted it had removed more than 193,000 feral animals from NSW national parks since March 2023. Domestic pets are not permitted on NPWS land.
Council staff are now working through the practical implications of the February resolution, including any adjustments needed to existing land management programs. Residents can report fox sightings in the area via the Fox Scan app or website.
Published 14-March-2026
