Have cane toads made their way to Coffs Harbour? Depends who you ask

A group of student scientists have helped reveal the presence of cane toads in Coffs Creek, prompting calls for immediate action to stop the spread of the invasive species.

First released in Queensland in 1935, cane toads are highly toxic to native wildlife and have become established across large parts of northeastern Australia.

Coffs Harbour is more than 100 kilometres south of the nearest known population. 

What they found: Doctor Maarten De Brauwer, a senior research scientist at Southern Cross University (SCU), has led a project mapping the biodiversity of estuaries across NSW for the past two-and-a-half years.

One of the core mapping methods used is known as Environmental DNA (eDNA), which identifies discarded genetic material such as scales, faeces, fur or skin.

• “We go from the border of Queensland all the way down to the border of Victoria to look at what lives in the estuaries,” Dr De Brauwer told the Mid North Coaster. 

  “As part of the large suite of species that we detect, we can pick up amphibians and cane toads as well.”

Local detections: De Brauwer’s research detected cane toad eDNA as far south as the Sandon River near Yamba in 2024.

• Assisted by SCU marine science students, De Brauwer then detected cane toad eDNA in Coffs Creek in May 2025 and again several weeks ago.

Surprising results: Doctor Matt Greenlees, a lecturer and researcher at Charles Sturt University in Port Macquarie, said an established population of cane toads in Coffs Harbour would be a surprise and a concern. 

• “They're not considered or known to have been established in that area,” he said.
  
  “They've been spreading slowly, but the recognised extent of their distribution is still pretty much north of the Clarence River.”

How do they migrate?: Dr Greenlees said cane toads are “very good at hitchhiking” and will travel south onboard trucks transporting materials such as landscaping supplies. 

This instinct for travel has seen cane toads located in Port Macquarie, Lake Cathie and even Sydney and Canberra in recent years. 

Fast action required: Greenlees urged immediate investigation to avoid the development of a population in Coffs Harbour.

• “The longer they are established in the area, the more likely they are to reproduce and spread even further, which obviously increases the difficulty of removing them, and definitely increases the cost,” he said.

Starting from 2010, Greenlees was part of a successful four-year effort alongside a local council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service to eradicate an established population of more than 4500 toads in an industrial area in southern Sydney.  

Site-specific response: Doctor De Brauwer said the eDNA data found in Coffs Creek has been shared with all relevant authorities and communication between agencies was positive. 

• “We detect something and then tell the authorities so they can be informed based on science, and then it's up to the authorities to decide what to do with it,” De Brauwer said. 

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is the appointed “combat agency” for biosecurity emergencies, while Local Land Services works with local communities to tackle biosecurity threats.

A spokesperson for the department said DPIRD has not been notified of any recent sightings of cane toads in Coffs Harbour, but did not comment on current or previous risk mitigation measures undertaken.

DPIRD advised that cane toad sightings can be reported on ToadScan (feralscan.org.au/toadscan) or via this online form.

Councillor’s questions: City of Coffs Harbour councillor Jonathan Cassell has questioned whether the issue of cane toad sightings has been taken seriously enough on the Coffs Coast in the past.

He noted sightings in previous years have “always been referred to as isolated” by authorities and pointed to a lack of a broader “procedural response” for the region. 

Image credit: Dr Matt Greenlees.