Photo Karen Majer
A series of reviews of Anticoagulant Rodenticides by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) culminated in the announcement on 10 March 2026 that the APVMA “certified that it is in the public interest for chemical products containing any second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARS) to be declared restricted chemical products (RCPs)”.
The APVMA has determined that the current use of SGAR products presents unacceptable risks to non-target animals, including native wildlife.
On 10 March 2026, the APVMA released new regulations detailed in Gazette 5.
From 24 March 2026, there is a one-year “suspension” of SGARs.
Active constituents affected are:
- Brodifacoum
- Bromadiolone
- Difenacoum
- Difethialone
- Flocoumafen
First Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (FGARs) are not affected by the Suspension.
The FGAR active constituents approved by the APVMA are:
- Coumatetralyl
- Diphacinone
- Warfarin
Timeline of APVMA anticoagulant rodenticide reviews
2020
The APVMA concluded a public consultation into use patterns for anticoagulant rodenticides in 2020. 3,391 submissions were made to the review. A summary of the submissions received was published on its website.
2021
In December 2021 the APVMA announced that, based on the response, it would review evidence based on scientific submissions.
2025
The outcome of that five-year review was published in the APVMA Special Gazette 16 December 2025. The APVMA released a press statement, draft Special Gazette recommendations and a technical report, and invited submissions by 14 March 2026. In summary:
- APVMA recognised that risk to wildlife is unacceptable BUT
- proposed SGARs remain on sale to the public and for use by pest controllers and farmers with the main recommendations being changes to labelling, a limit of pack size for householders, and a requirement that bait stations be used outdoors.
The proposed conditions failed to heed the logic and science that wildlife and invertebrates also access bait stations (primary poisoning) and that rodents that eat poison move away for up to 18 days to be eaten alive and dead (secondary poisoning). An understanding of poisoning pathways clearly demonstrates that the measures proposed by APVMA could not stop secondary poisoning.
2025-2026
Between December 2025 and March 2026, Owl Friendly Margaret River, together with many others around Australia, including Birdlife Australia, conservation groups, key scientists, legal professionals and others, conducted intensive campaigns to ban SGARs and facilitate submissions to the APVMA. Owl Friendly MR submission.
2026
On 10 March 2026, the APVMA released new regulations detailed in Gazette 5 . From 24 March 2026, there is a one-year “suspension” of SGARs.