Pesticides outcomes approach
The EPA adopts a risk-based and outcomes-focused approach to ensure the safe use of pesticides in NSW.
Our approach is a proactive framework to support the safe use of pesticides. It is designed to protect people and the environment from any harmful impacts. The approach sets out 5 long-term outcomes that are aligned to our Strategic Plan 2024–29.
It also sets out current and planned actions to mitigate the highest risks for the regulation of pesticides and deliver stronger protection to prevent pesticide misuse.
These actions are aligned to the elements of our Regulatory Framework and our role as an environmental steward.
Our approach
We protect people and the environment from the potential risks of unsafe pesticide use, prioritising the highest risk pesticides using scientific expertise and experience. We are committed to a nationally consistent pesticide management approach to keep our community and the environment safe with the least regulatory burden.
Our approach includes enforcing national label conditions and running targeted compliance campaigns to ensure users apply each product safely. This work complements that of other programs and agencies which manage pesticide risks associated with worker safety, chemical storage and legacy land contamination.
Why we use pesticides
Pesticides greatly benefit our community by supporting agricultural production, public health, biosecurity, property protection and public amenity. They include the herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, fumigants and vertebrate poisons that we use across NSW to:
- protect crops and gardens
- fumigate property and eradicate household pests
- control wild animal populations and problem weeds
- help prevent the spread of viruses and diseases.
How we regulate pesticides
Commonwealth and State laws jointly regulate pesticides in Australia across their lifecycle.
The Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) runs the national registration scheme, regulates pesticides until sale, and sets use conditions and a ‘control of use’ framework.
In NSW, we regulate pesticide use to minimise risks, promote collaborative policies and protect people, the environment, property and trade. We do this through the:
These provide regulatory mechanisms to ensure competent people use pesticides safely, while preventing unsafe exposure and preserving property and trade.
Our comprehensive framework:
- enforces the APVMA’s label conditions
- sets licensing requirements for various types of pesticide work and mandatory authorisation requirements for restricted chemicals
- allows for permits to regulate off-label pesticide use
- provides for pesticide control orders to set additional conditions of use for restricted chemicals and high-risk pesticide uses
- determines offences and appropriate penalties
- provides tools for responding to excess residues in produce.
Regulatory spotlight
- The EPA’s Environment Line logged and responded to over 1,000 reports relating to pesticides in 2025–26. If you have a pesticides report, please contact [email protected].
- There are around 7,000 active pesticide licences that the EPA monitors for compliance. They include licences for pest management, fumigation, remote, ground and aerial application. More information about these licences is available on our public register.
- The NSW Government’s Agriculture Economics research team reports that over the last 5 years primary industries’ Gross Value of Production (GVP) is at an estimated $25.5 billion with cropping at an estimated $11.6 billion, livestock at an estimated $9.5 billion and horticulture at an estimated $3.7 billion. Proper pesticide use plays an important role in agricultural and horticultural production.
The case for action
Pesticide issues can have a huge economic and geographic impact. We must regulate pesticides to prevent unsafe exposure, spray drift and food residues from harming our community and environment. This includes ensuring pesticide users follow all safety instructions to avoid any unnecessary health or environmental impacts to themselves or to others, and the environment. Monitoring pesticide use also plays a key role in minimising risks to waterways, crops, people and local animals.
Current and planned actions
The EPA will be conducting a program to assess compliance of 1080 users with the Ejector Capsule and Felixer Cartridge Pesticide Control Orders.
This project is part of our Targeted Compliance Program 2026–27 and will contribute to ensuring vertebrate poisons are used effectively and safely in NSW and that non-target species are protected from harmful exposure to pesticides.
The EPA continues to attend industry and landholder events to provide education on the responsibilities for using pesticides.
We collaborate with other government departments and local government.
The EPA continues to partner with Local Land Services at regional field days to educate communities and pesticide users about responsible pesticide use, where to access information and how to report suspected pesticide misuse.
Key events in 2026 include:
- AgQuip Field Days (August)
- Henty Machinery Field Days (September)
Information provided at these events focuses on pesticides commonly used in broadacre agricultural settings, as well as vertebrate pest control products such as 1080 baits.
These events provide a valuable opportunity to share advice on safe storage and handling of pesticides, accurate record-keeping and best practice spraying application techniques to reduce the risk of spray drift.
By collaborating with Local Land Services, the EPA helps deliver a consistent and coordinated message across agencies, ensuring attendees receive reliable information on pesticide use and compliance.
The EPA is conducting a 12-month water sampling project to monitor pesticide levels and types at priority waterways across the Coffs Harbour and Nambucca Valley local government areas. More information is available on our Mid North Coast pesticides monitoring and compliance webpage.
The EPA has been conducting a targeted campaign to assess compliance with pesticides legislation among broadacre pesticide applicators in north-west NSW who are not required to hold a pesticide licence with the EPA. More information is available on our Macquarie Valley pesticides compliance program webpage.
Chemical pest control is integral to many industries: domestic pest management, import and export fumigation, agriculture and environmental preservation. Application methods range from agricultural spraying with ground rigs, aircraft or drones to indoor use by pest management technicians. But improper use can cause major risks if the pesticides go off target.
To manage this, we require all high-risk users to have a licence or qualification we recognise. In NSW, our licensing scheme ensures people who use pesticides in certain high-risk ways have the skills to do so safely. These licences:
- require completing a recognised course of study, and extra training if needed
- are specific to the type of use
- include conditions that address likely risks
- monitor compliance with our targeted campaigns and complaint responses.
More information is available on our Licences and advice for occupational pesticide users webpage.
The Australian Government’s ‘Detailed Response to the final report on future structure and governance arrangements for the APVMA’ (2024) acknowledged that there is an opportunity to improve monitoring of agricultural chemicals in the food chain and environment to ensure the effectiveness of the regulatory system. We are exploring what a program could look like.
The Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) has commenced work to explore parameters for a surveillance and monitoring system, in consultation with the states and territories.
Long-term outcomes
We enforce the safe use of pesticides through our comprehensive regulatory scheme and statutory responsibilities as a regulator of pesticides. Our work complements that of other programs and agencies, including activities associated with worker safety, chemical storage and safety, and land contamination.
We listen and act on community reports to ensure that reported incidents are triaged and those with the highest risks are prioritised for regulatory action and investigation.
We support pesticide users in understanding the regulatory requirements by giving appropriate guidance, education and advice. We enable them to make informed decisions through training and accreditation.
We continue to promote the use of integrated pest management approaches, where management alternatives to pesticide use are implemented as the first option. We will also support continual improvement by giving pesticide users new information as it arises. We adapt when advising on recommended best practice by considering new technology and methods. We continue to ensure our regulatory requirements are reviewed and updated to mitigate identified risk.
We monitor pesticide use to ensure we are aware of current and emerging pesticides threats and communicate with the public and our regulated community. We continue our partnerships with other government agencies and work with industry to assess risks and alternative approaches to make informed decisions on pesticide use and ensure that unregistered pesticides are not used in NSW.
We engage with the community, industry and licensed technicians to understand their concerns relating to safe and sustainable pesticides use. We listen to industry and licensed technicians to understand the challenges and offer solutions to achieve best practice pesticide use. We work with other regulators to prevent harmful pesticide residues in NSW agricultural produce.
We work with other agencies regarding new and innovative regulatory approaches for addressing pesticides issues. We also work with communities to understand new and emerging practices to ensure our regulation remains contemporary and fit-for-purpose. Pesticide users follow our regulatory requirements and achieve best practice.
Monitoring and evaluation
Our approach includes monitoring and regularly reviewing our actions and evaluating their impact to ensure we are delivering on the outcomes we have identified.