Nigel Gray
Conservation House
18-32 Manners Street
fyi-request-34149-
[email address]
Te Aro, Wellington, 6011
28 April 2026
doc.govt.nz
Ref: OIAD-6189
Tēnā koe Nigel
Thank you for your request to the Department of Conservation, received on 18 March 2026, in
which you asked for:
“I am requesting the following information under the Official Information Act 1982.
1. Stated Purpose of the 1080 Programme
Please provide all documents that define or describe the purpose of the 1080 programme,
including the exact wording used in:
internal policy documents
operational manuals
strategic plans
Cabinet papers
Ministerial briefings
internal memos or emails summarising the programme’s purpose
2. End-Goal: Eradication or Suppression
Please provide all documents that state whether the purpose of the 1080 programme is:
eradication of target species, or
long-term suppression of target species
This includes any documents that define the intended end-state or outcome.
3. Target Dates, Milestones, and Performance Indicators
Please provide all documents that specify any:
target dates
milestones
timelines
performance indicators
…relating to achieving the programme’s stated purpose.
4. Changes in Stated Purpose Over Time
Please provide any documents that show how the stated purpose of the 1080 programme
has changed since its introduction, including:
revisions to policy
updated strategic goals
changes in operational intent
5. Intended Duration of the Programme
Please provide all documents and correspondence that indicate:
whether the 1080 programme was intended to be temporary, short-term, medium-term, or
long-term
any expected duration stated at the time the programme was initiated
any later assessments or reviews discussing how long the programme is expected to
continue
any documents describing whether 1080 use was intended to be phased out, replaced, or
maintained indefinitely
This includes internal discussions, planning documents, strategic reviews, and any
correspondence addressing the expected length of time the programme would run.
Format
Electronic copies are preferred”
We have considered your request under the Official Information Act 1982.
On 26 March 2026 you refined your request to:
“Refined Request (Governing Documents Only) Please provide all documents that define
or describe the purpose, end-goal, and intended duration of DOC’s use of 1080, limited to
the following document types:
internal policy documents
strategic plans
high-level operational manuals
Cabinet papers
Ministerial briefings
internal memos or emails that summarise the purpose or intended duration of 1080 use at
a programme level
Date Range
To assist with manageability, please limit the search to documents from 2010 to the
present.
Clarification
I am not requesting:
documents relating to specific predator control operations
field-level operational planning
GIS layers, maps, or operational schedules
letterdetailed monitoring datasets
The request is solely for documents that define the purpose, intended end-state, or
expected duration of DOC’s use of 1080 as a tool within the predator control programme.
Electronic copies are preferred.”
Aotearoa NZ Biodiversity Strategy
To clarify, DOC does not have a stand-alone “1080 programme”, with its own purpose, end goal,
and intended duration. As a result, much of the overarching documentation you have requested
does not exist. 1080 is a pest control tool, which is used to help achieve the goals of DOC’s
biodiversity protection programmes, where these require pest control to protect threatened flora
and fauna, and where 1080 is the best available option for achieving this.
2
The overarching strategy guiding DOC’s biodiversity protection programmes is the Aotearoa NZ
Biodiversity Strategy. This provides the purpose, end-goal, and intended duration of DOC’s pest
control work, which includes the use of predator control tools such as 1080. You can find the
document here:
Te Mana o te Taiao - Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy 2020.
Predator Free 2050
Predator Free 2050 is another key strategic plan that drives DOC’s predator control work.
Predator Free 2050 is a bold nationwide goal to eradicate damaging introduced predators from
all of New Zealand by 2050. Many of our native species are found nowhere else in the world.
They evolved for mil ions of years without mammal predators or defences against them. More
than 4,000 of these unique native species are threatened or at risk of extinction. You can find the
Predator Free 2050 Strategy here
Innovate for a predator-free New Zealand. Predator Free 2050
Strategy (2026–2030):
National Predator Control Programme
DOC’s National Predator Control Programme is a critical part of the Predator Free 2050 strategy.
The goal of the programme is to ensure the survival of New Zealand’s best surviving threatened
species populations that are highly vulnerable to predators, through ongoing predator control,
using the most effective predator control tools currently available, until advances in predator
control technology allows Predator Free 2050 to be achieved.
I am sharing with you the National Predator Control Programme’s current Four Year Predator
Control Operational Plan, which gives an overview of the rationale for the predator control
operations currently being undertaken.
Animal pest systems summary for managers
I am sharing with you DOC’s “Animal Pest System Summary for Managers”. Please refer to this
document for a high-level operational summary of the standards and management controls that
DOC applies to animal pest control operations, including the use of 1080.
Operational planning for animal pest operations SOP
I am sharing with you DOC’s “Operational Planning for Animal Pest Operations” standard
operating procedure. This describes the planning process and standards DOC applies when
controlling animal pests, which includes the use of pest control tools such as 1080.
3
Pesticide Information Review for 1080
When deciding whether to use 1080, DOC assesses all available options that wil achieve the
required biodiversity outcomes that require pest control, such as traps, other toxin’s, shooting,
fencing, etc. The decision to use 1080 is made if it is the best available option.
I am sharing with you DOC’s “Pesticide Information Review for 1080”. This sums up the current
scientific knowledge about the environmental effects of 1080. This document guides DOC’s
technical assessment of 1080 as a potential pest control tool.
Predator Control using 1080 Rats, stoats, possums, and other introduced predators kil an estimated 25 mil ion native birds in
New Zealand each year. Habitat loss and introduced predators have caused more than 50 native
bird species, along with several plants, frogs, reptiles, and bats, to become extinct. Without
predator control, many more native animal populations wil become extinct in less than two human
generations. When 1080 is used to control introduced predators, the populations of native birds,
insects, plants, bats and frogs have a much better chance of survival. Decades of monitoring and
research have shown that intermittent aerial 1080 operation can maintain predator numbers at a
low level. This allows native species to survive, breed, and increase their populations. In some
cases, more operations are necessary to protect highly endangered species or during periods of
more frequent forest masts. When introduced predators are effectively controlled there are proven
benefits for entire ecosystems.
Many of New Zealand’s wild places are steep, inaccessible and covered in thick forest. Aerial y
applied 1080 bait is the only option in vast, remote or rugged areas. Trapping in these areas is
not feasible because of the number of traps needed and the trap lines that would have to be cut,
walked regularly and maintained.
1080 can be applied safely and accurately by helicopters over large forests areas so that good
coverage is achieved. The use of 1080 is supported through research by independent scientists
and other experts. The Environmental Protection Authority has approved the use of 1080 as a
tool for predator control in New Zealand. Al 1080 predator control operations must have
permission from the Ministry of Health. DOC consults and/or partners with the relevant rūnanga,
hapū and/or iwi for each operation. Many conservation groups and organisations endorse the use
of 1080, including Forest & Bird, Federated Farmers, OSPRI, the World Wildlife Foundation
(WWF), the Environmental Protection Authority and the Ministry of Health.
4
I have decided to release the relevant parts of the documents listed above, subject to
information being withheld under the following sections of the Official Information Act, as
applicable:
• section 9(2)(g)(i ) – to protect Ministers, officials, or employees from improper pressure
or harassment.
You are entitled to seek an investigation and review of my decision by writing to an Ombudsman
as provided by section 28(3) of the Official Information Act.
Please note that this letter (with your personal details removed) and attached documents may
be published on the Department’s website.
Nāku noa, nā
Ben Reddiex
Director Biodiversity National Programmes
Department of Conservation
Te Papa Atawhai
Table 1: List of documents
Item
Document description
Decision
1
Four-year predator control operational
Released in part
plan
2
Animal pest systems summary for
Released in full
managers
3
Operational planning for animal pest
Released in part
operations SOP
4
1080 pesticide review report
Released in part
5
