Tell Murray River Council to Stop Poisoning Wildlife.
Murray River Council uses Tomcat Blox — containing bromadiolone, a potent SGAR — for rodent control. Bromadiolone accumulates in native predators through secondary poisoning, threatening the owls, raptors, and wildlife that depend on the Murray River's riverine habitat. Send a direct email to the General Manager asking them to stop.
Bromadiolone in use along the Murray River — one of Australia's most ecologically significant waterways.
Secondary poisoning of native wildlife
SGARs accumulate in the tissue of poisoned rodents and remain lethal for days. Native predators — powerful owls, wedge-tailed eagles, raptors, quolls, and antechinus — are exposed when they eat affected animals. Research led by Prof. Raylene Cooke and Assoc. Prof. John White at Deakin University has documented SGAR toxins in the livers of native predators across Australia.
Active regulatory review by the APVMA
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority is currently reviewing SGAR registrations following evidence of widespread non-target harm. Councils continuing to use these products risk being on the wrong side of an emerging regulatory shift.
Effective alternatives already exist
Non-anticoagulant products such as Selontra (colecalciferol) provide effective rodent control with no secondary poisoning risk to native wildlife. Murray River Council can direct its contractors to replace Tomcat Blox with a wildlife-friendly alternative — a straightforward specification update.