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Camera IconThe Perth metropolitan area is home to several native owls, including the Southern Boobook. Credit: pen_ash\/Pixabay<\/p>\nThe City of Stirling has officially ended its use of second-generation rodent poisons in an effort to protect local native wildlife such as owls.<\/p>\n
Although widely available as off-the-shelf baits, second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides are strong but slow-acting poisons that can take days to kill the rodents that have ingested them.<\/p>\n
Pests that have ingested these poisons often become easy meals for pets or native species such as owls, which can then be harmed or killed as a result of secondary poisoning.<\/p>\n
Given the risks to wildlife and pets, the city has now removed these poisons from all operations and contracts.<\/p>\n
The council made the unanimous decision in April 2025 to phase out its use of rodenticides and become an \u2018owl-friendly city,\u2019 following a motion from councillor Tony Krsticevic in November 2024.<\/p>\n
The Owl-Friendly initiative was founded in 2018 in Margaret River by the Rodenticide Action Group.<\/p>\n
Camera IconThe Perth metropolitan area is home to several native owls, including the Southern Boobook. Credit: pen_ash\/Pixabay<\/p>\n
Since then, several local governments across Australia, including the cities of Melville and Cockburn, have joined the movement by phasing out SGARs.<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s announcement comes as a federal regulator this week declared that chemical products containing any SGARs are set to be classified as restricted chemical products, meaning over-the-counter rat baits could soon be removed from shelves.<\/p>\n
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority made the announcement on Tuesday, four years after starting a review into rodenticides.<\/p>\n
Under the proposed controls, SGARs would only be accessible to individuals with approved training and licensing.<\/p>\n
City of Stirling mayor Mark Irwin said the community also had a role to play in protecting local wildlife by adopting responsible pest control practices.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an important step towards protecting our wildlife and any non-target animals from the impacts of these rodenticides,\u201d Mr Irwin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will continue our ongoing education about the use of responsible rodent controls throughout the community, including at food premises, commercial properties, building sites and homes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Perth metropolitan area is home to several native owls, including the southern boobook, the barn owl, and the masked owl.<\/p>\n
The change to owl-friendly rodent control measures is expected to cost the city an extra $6000 per year.<\/p>\n