With construction booming in the city, you’re reporting seeing more rats than ever. That’s why it’s time for decisive action.
We’re doubling the number of rat baiting stations from 430 to 860 over the coming weeks. Our rat catchers will also monitor the baits more often and put more baits in rat hotspots.
Much of the rise in rat sightings is due to construction projects across the city, including light rail works, stirring up rat populations. But a growing amount of illegally dumped waste may also be to blame.
More than 135 City of Sydney staff and contractors monitor rats as part of their duties in parks, streets and food premises.
Around 110 of these workers are based in public areas, removing food waste, backfilling rat holes and reporting rats for targeted baiting.
We recently introduced a requirement for all developers to provide a pest management plan before major construction work begins. And we’ve written to state government departments encouraging them to increase their baiting programs.
You may have also seen reports of inner city dogs contracting leptospirosis from drinking water that contained rat urine.
If you’re concerned about the welfare of your pet, please contact your local vet for advice.
You can help reduce the number of rats in our city:
- Remove overgrown vegetation and piles of rubbish.
- Dispose of all food scraps appropriately.
- Only put your bin out on bin night.
- Make the most of our free bulky waste collections for residents.
Hire a pest controller if your property is affected by rats.
If you visit a city park, please dispose of any food scraps in the bins provided and don’t feed any rats.
Published 23 July 2019, updated 24 July 2019
