What NSW law says
Protected wildlife
Possums are protected in NSW under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. Without a licence it's illegal to trap one, to catch and release it, to move it or to harm it.
Back out at dusk, close by
A possum caught under licence must be released at dusk, no more than 150 metres from where it was caught, next to something it can climb straight away, such as a tree or a tall fence.
Who holds the licence
Catch and release operators are licensed by the NSW Government's Biodiversity and Heritage Regulator. The department's advice is to ask whoever you hire whether they hold a current licence.
Close the gap only when it's out
NSW advice is to block a possum's way in only once you're sure it has left the roof to forage, which is usually at night. Shutting it inside is the mistake to avoid.
Possum, rat or mouse?
A brushtail possum sounds heavy: thumps and scampering across the ceiling after dark, plus deep guttural coughs and sharp hisses, especially in the breeding season. Rats and mice sound lighter, with scratching and gnawing that can carry on through the night.
The NSW Government suggests two simple checks. Watch the roofline at dusk to see if a possum comes out, and sprinkle flour near the gap you suspect, then look at the footprints in the morning.
How a proofing job usually runs
Find every way in
The technician checks the roofline, eaves, gaps under tiles and where trees touch the house, since a possum shut out of one hole will test the next.
Wait until it's out
Gaps are closed once the possum has gone out for the night. If it can't be confirmed out, someone holding a NSW catch and release licence may need to catch it and let it go.
Release on your doorstep
Any release happens at dusk, within 150 metres, beside a tree or tall fence. Possums in NSW aren't driven away to the bush.
Give it a new bed
NSW guidance suggests a nest box fixed at least 4 metres up a tree, so the possum has somewhere to go that isn't your ceiling.
Ask before you agree
- Do you hold a current NSW licence for possum catch and release, and can I see it?
- How will you make sure the possum is outside before the roof is sealed?
- If it has to be caught, where within 150 metres would it be let go?
- What materials will you use on the gaps, and will they hold up to a determined possum?
- If it gets back in through a gap nobody spotted, does the job include a return visit?
Where we'd start with possum removal in Sydney
Sprinkle flour by the gap you suspect, check for footprints in the morning, and watch the roofline at dusk. Once you're sure it's a possum, tap Possum or birds and tell us where it gets in.
Want someone to look at it?
Tell us what you've seen and your postcode, and a local pest business that handles exactly that calls you to talk it through.
