North West pesticide users complying with laws but record-keeping concerns remain

MOST farmers and landholders across the North West are complying with the state’s pesticide laws, according to a targeted compliance campaign by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), although some sprayers have been warned to improve their record-keeping.

The campaign assessed pesticide users across the local government areas of Moree, Narrabri, Walgett, Warren, Liverpool Plains, Gunnedah, Warrumbungle Shire, Coonabarabran and Gilgandra.

The inspections resulted in 19 advisory letters and eight formal warnings being issued to landholders and sprayers found to have minor breaches of the Pesticides Act.

NSW EPA director of operations Julian Thompson said officers reviewed almost 170 spray records from properties that had used pesticides, herbicides and insecticides during December 2025.

“This was a very precise campaign looking at people who use pesticides on their own properties to determine if they are preventing off-target impacts, such as spray drift,” Mr Thompson said.

“In NSW, landowners can legally apply pesticides to their own land using ground-based spraying equipment without an EPA licence – but they still need to comply with the rules.

“In good news, everyone we contacted had completed the required training, and most people were applying pesticides in accordance with the product label.

“Label conditions should never be ignored – they are legally binding settings that prevent off-target impacts from these chemicals, protecting the environment and the community from harm.

“The formal warnings were primarily issued to people with poor record-keeping practices, such as failing to record the full product name of the chemical used, or missing details about spray areas, dates and weather conditions.

“Keeping up-to-date records isn’t just an administrative task – it’s an important risk management tool that allows the EPA to investigate compliance with the Pesticides Act.”

The EPA said the campaign focused on ensuring pesticide users were taking appropriate steps to prevent off-target impacts, including spray drift, while complying with legal requirements for chemical application and record-keeping.

The campaign was informed by insights gathered during previous EPA pesticide compliance campaigns conducted across the Central West and North West since 2017.

The EPA has encouraged pesticide users to ensure they maintain complete and accurate spray records, including product details, application areas, dates and weather conditions, to meet their legal obligations under the Pesticides Act.