Threat abatement plan for competition and land
degradation by rabbits
Review 2008-2012
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This review assesses the progress and effectiveness of the 2008 Threat abatement plan for
competition and land degradation by rabbits (TAP) in reducing the impacts of rabbits on
biodiversity by protecting nationally listed threatened species and communities, or preventing
further species and communities from becoming threatened, through research, management and
other actions. The review provides a snap shot of current efforts in rabbit management across
Australia in comparison to five years ago and highlights successes and failures of the plan in
guiding and facilitating action on the control of rabbits and reducing their impact.
Introduced European rabbits, Oryctolagus ciniculus, are Australia’s most costly vertebrate pest.
Rabbits have severe environmental impacts; through direct browsing of native flora and
competition with native animals for resources and indirectly by supporting populations of other
pest species such as cats and foxes, as well as causing widespread losses to pastoral and
agricultural production. The environmental cost of rabbits would be far more severe if not for
the successful release of two biological control agents over the last 60 years: myxoma virus,
released in 1950 and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus, released in 1995.
There is evidence to suggest that wild rabbit populations are again increasing in Australia due
to a combination of favourable environmental conditions and the decreasing effectiveness of
rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD). This means that the benefits gained from releasing the
disease in Australia are slowly being eroded and land managers must increase resources put
into manual rabbit control methods such as poisoning, warren ripping and fumigation.
The first objective of the TAP focuses on preventing rabbits from spreading, prioritising high
conservation areas and eradicating rabbits from these areas. The review found that there is
some difficulty in prioritising areas for rabbit control on a national level as their impacts are so
widespread. Rabbits have largely reached their ecological limits in Australia and the only
rabbit-free areas within this zone are some offshore islands and fenced mainland exclosures.
The objective to “prevent rabbits occupying new areas” is less relevant than for other pest
species that may still be expanding their range. A more important objective for rabbits is to
minimise their impact by reducing their abundance and maintaining low numbers rather than
achieving total eradication. Nevertheless, there are several examples of successful rabbit
eradication on offshore islands in the last five years, most notably the probable eradication
from Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean.
The second objective of the TAP is to promote the maintenance and recovery of native species
and ecological communities affected by rabbit competition and land degradation. Recovery
plans for a number of threatened species, and more recently regional multi-species plans,
identify rabbits as a key threat. This has, in some cases, prompted rabbit action plans to be
developed and implemented. While the review found numerous rabbit control programs
occurring throughout Australia, rabbit control was rarely initiated due to threatened species or
ecological community recovery and was usually undertaken as part of a larger management
plan for numerous reasons, including agricultural and social. These programs were often ad hoc
and lacked strategic prioritisation due to inefficient funding and other competing local
priorities. The recent development of economic decision models may help to maximise the
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cost–benefit return on management and provide a framework for rabbit control programs on a
regional scale.
Objective three of the TAP aims to improve knowledge of rabbit impacts and interactions with
other species and ecological processes. Ongoing studies are revealing the exact impact rabbits
are having on native species. There is now quantifiable evidence that increased rabbit density
across both arid and temperate regions results in decreased native species cover and diversity,
and increased weed cover and diversity. Exclosures, in particular, have been useful in
quantifying the impacts rabbits are having on the environment. We now know that even low
densities of rabbits (0.5 rabbits per ha) can inhibit the regeneration of seedlings of many
palatable native plants. While there is a general consensus that rabbits support populations of
pest predators (dingo/dog, fox, cat), there is still limited information on the effects that
fluctuations in rabbit numbers might have on the populations of predators. Further information
is needed on the potential impacts of the predators switching prey to native species when rabbit
abundances are low.
Objective four of the TAP focuses on improving the effectiveness, target specificity, integration
and humaneness of rabbit control options. The main focus of rabbit control research over the
past five years has been increasing the effectiveness of RHD through the RHD Boost project.
This is in response to the apparent rising genetic resistance of rabbits to the current strain of the
RHD virus and its limited effectiveness in temperate regions due to an already present endemic
virus, which was recently identified and confirmed to offer some immunity. The project has
identified several new strains of RHD virus that have the potential to work on rabbits that have
developed resistance to the current strain. While biocontrol agents have produced large
benefits, the importance of integrating biocontrol with manual control methods must not be
overlooked. The development of a carbon-monoxide fumigator is an important advancement in
the humane control of rabbits. In addition, coordinated warren ripping programs have been
shown to provide an effective method for long-term rabbit control in rangelands.
Finally, objective five aims to increase awareness of all stakeholders of the need to control and
manage rabbits. New approaches are needed to educate stakeholders about effective control of
rabbits. Educational tools to help assess rabbit damage and implement control programs have
been produced, including manuals, guidelines and factsheets that are easily accessible online.
This will help land managers develop a properly integrated landscape approach to rabbit
control. Tools such as economic decision models are proving useful for land managers in
establishing a framework for implementing rabbit control programs and assessing progress.
It is concluded that the issues raised in the 2008 TAP and the objectives are still valid in 2013
and likely to remain so into the future. However, the TAP could be revised to reflect the present
priorities and include the amendments suggested by the review. The recommended revisions
include amending the first objective to focusing on reducing and maintaining low rabbit
numbers in regional priority areas. New actions include the incorporation of economic models
into plans; attempting to put the environmental benefits of rabbit control into monetary terms;
including adaptive management; further input into the impact of rabbit control; researching the
barriers to adoption of best practice control methods for rabbits; and a stronger focus on crosstenure control programs.
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Table of Contents
Executive summary .......................................................................................................................2
Purpose of the review ....................................................................................................................5
Background ...................................................................................................................................5
Review of the objectives of the Threat Abatement Plan ...............................................................7
Objective 1 - Prevent rabbits occupying new areas and eradicate from high priority islands ..7
Objective 2: Promote maintenance and recovery of native species and eco communities that
are affected by rabbit competition and land degradation. .......................................................15
Objective 3 – Improve knowledge and understanding of rabbit impacts and interactions with
other species and other ecological processes ...........................................................................21
Objective 4: Improve the effectiveness, target specificity, integration and humaneness of
rabbit control options ...............................................................................................................28
Objective 5: Increase awareness of all stakeholders of the objectives and actions of the TAP,
and of the need to control and manage rabbits ........................................................................38
Conclusions .................................................................................................................................41
Looking Forward .........................................................................................................................41
References ...................................................................................................................................43
Appendix A: Australian Government Funded research .............................................................51
Biodiversity Fund grants .........................................................................................................52
Caring for our Country grants .................................................................................................54
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PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW
Section 279 (2) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC
Act) requires a threat abatement plan to be reviewed by the Minister at intervals of not longer
than five years. The Threat Abatement Plan for the competition and land degradation by
rabbits was first made in 1999, and reviewed in 2004-05 by the Bureau of Rural Sciences
(BRS) (Hart 2005). A revised threat abatement plan (hereafter the rabbit threat abatement plan)
was made in 2008 and is now due for review.
The purpose of this review is to assess the progress and effectiveness of the rabbit threat
abatement plan in reducing the impacts of rabbits on biodiversity, specifically nationally listed
threatened species and ecological communities, or preventing further species and communities
from becoming threatened, through research, management and other actions. The review
provides a snap shot of current efforts in rabbit management across Australia in comparison to
five years ago and highlights successes and failures of the plan in guiding and facilitating
action on the control of rabbits and reducing their impact. It takes into account threat abatement
actions funded by the Australian Government as well as work by the state and territory
governments, natural resource management groups and other local organisations.
BACKGROUND
Introduced European rabbits, Oryctolagus ciniculus, are Australia’s most costly vertebrate pest.
The rate of spread of the rabbit in Australia is believed to be the fastest of any colonising
mammal in the world (Williams et al. 1995). Their colonisation was aided by existing native
animal burrows and habitat modification for farming, and by further deliberate human
introductions for meat and hunting. The construction of a 1700 km rabbit-proof fence in
Western Australia failed to stop the spread of rabbits and they are now found across the
continent, and on several offshore islands (Williams et al. 1995).
Rabbits not only cause widespread losses to pastoral and agricultural production but also have
severe environmental impacts (Mutze et al. 2008, Cooke 2012a). Rabbits directly compete with
many animals for food and shelter and have extensive effects on native flora though
ringbarking, grazing and browsing (Williams et al. 1995). The environmental cost of rabbits
would be far more severe if not for the successful release of two biological control agents over
the last 60 years: myxoma virus and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (Fenner and Fantini
1999).
Myxomatosis initially caused heavy mortality of rabbits after its release in the 1950s, but
gradual resistance enabled the partial recovery of rabbit numbers. Myxomatosis is now only
50 per cent effective, however it is still an important biological control agent, keeping rabbit
populations to an average of 5 per cent of former numbers in wetter areas, and 25 per cent in
arid areas. RHD virus was released in 1995 and further reduced rabbit numbers, especially in
arid areas, however the effectiveness of RHD is now also decreasing. This means that the
benefits gained from releasing the disease in Australia are slowly being eroded and land
managers must once again increase reliance on labour intensive rabbit control methods such as
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poisoning, warren ripping and fumigation not only for crop and pasture protection but also for
conservation purposes (Williams et al. 1995).
The review provides context on what is currently known about rabbit impacts and control
methods around Australia and considers advances made in relation to the objectives of the 2008
threat abatement plan. Finally, the review will consider how threat abatement for competition
and land degradation by rabbits could be undertaken in the next five years.
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REVIEW OF THE OBJECTIVES OF THE THREAT ABATEMENT PLAN
The rabbit threat abatement plan provides a coordinated national approach to management,
research, and education to increase awareness and provide strategic options for rabbit control.
The goal of the plan is to minimise the impact of rabbit competition and land degradation on
biodiversity in Australia and its territories. The review considers each of the objectives of the
threat abatement plan and what work or management has occurred in each of the areas since
2008. The actions under these objectives are either reviewed individually or as part of the
broader response.
Objective 1 - Prevent rabbits occupying new areas and eradicate from high priority
islands
The goal of this objective is to prevent rabbits from extending their range in Australia and to
remove them from high-conservation-value ‘islands’. With the exception of some offshore
islands and fenced mainland exclosures, rabbits have largely reached their ecological limits in
Australia regarding range and overall distribution (West 2008). The stated objective “prevent
pests occupying new areas” is less relevant to rabbits than other pest species that may still be
expanding their range. There are no natural isolated populations of rabbits on the mainland
which could be controlled or eradicated in isolation. Nevertheless, islands and fenced mainland
exclosures provide unique opportunities for eradication to protect affected native species,
ecological communities and broad scale vegetation.
The following actions come under the first objective:
Actions
1.1 Collate data on all islands and on isolated mainland ‘islands’, assess their conservation
value, the likelihood of significant biodiversity impacts from rabbits and, if there are no rabbits
present, rank the level of risk of rabbits being introduced.
1.2 Develop management plans to prevent, monitor and, if incursions occur, contain and
eradicate any rabbit incursion, for ‘islands’ with high conservation values and into potential
new habitats with high conservation value.
1.3 Implement management plans for high conservation value islands, including prevention
and monitoring actions, and containment or eradication actions if incursions occur.
1.4 Eradicate established population of rabbits from ‘islands’ with high conservation values
where this is cost-effective, feasible and a high conservation priority.
The ability to identify priority areas for control, based on measures of conservation value and
pest impacts is critical to effectively manage pests in Australia. Two studies looking into the
prioritisation of high conservation islands were completed in 2009 in response to Action 1.1 in
this plan and other threat abatement plans. A desktop study determined the conservation status
of Australia’s offshore islands and summarised a priority list of the top 100 islands based on a
number of factors, including island biodiversity, threatened species, seabird breeding, critical
habitat, vegetation communities and an evaluation of the types and status of pest species
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(Ecosure 2009). Of these top 100 priorities, ten islands were identified as requiring rabbit
control (see Table 1), and a further two were identified as having potential biosecurity risks,
which could lead to rabbit introductions. Of these ten offshore islands, only two (Macquarie
and Phillip Islands) have management plans that have been implemented. Table 1 provides a
summary of the management plans that have or have not been implemented to date. While
these islands have been identified as a priority on a national level, different states may prioritise
their islands separately, for example NSW has eradicated rabbits from all of its islands
regardless of the national priority list, e.g. Broughton Island, Cabbage Tree Island, and
Montague Island.
Identifying priority mainland ‘islands’ for rabbit control is more problematic due to the wide
distribution of rabbits and high risk of reinvasion. A desktop study by Eco Logical (2009)
identified the top 100 high conservation mainland ‘islands’ using a number of Australian
Government databases. Rabbits occurred in each of the 100 top ranked mainland high
conservation ‘islands’ (Eco Logical 2009), highlighting the extent of the rabbit problem. There
are no ‘isolated’ mainland rabbit populations that can be targeted (except in the case of
exclosures), therefore a more realistic objective for rabbits is to minimise their impact by
reducing their abundance and maintaining low numbers, rather than limit their distribution or
achieve total eradication in areas of the mainland.
Prioritisation of mainland islands for rabbit control needs to be identified specifically for
rabbits at a regional scale. For example, the Sydney North Regional Rabbit Plan 2007-2012
(Parker 2007) outlines best practice methodologies and guidelines for 12 local councils and
other agencies. Specific rabbit control strategies were then developed by each agency for key
reserves in the form of an annual action plan. Similarly, the Port Phillip and Westernport
Rabbit Action Plan (2003) (Victoria) identified zones prone to rabbit infestation. All of
Nillumbik (Victoria), except the urban area, was identified as a high priority zone and this led
to the development of the Nillumbik Rabbit Action Plan (Edwards 2009). The national
mainland prioritisation study (Eco Logical 2009) provides a useful example of how to prioritise
areas. However, widespread pests such as rabbits are more usefully prioritised for control at a
more regional scale and this is most effectively done at state, catchment or NRM board level. It
is important that areas outside the top 100 national list are also considered for funding,
especially if identified by such regional plans.
Offshore islands
Worldwide, rabbits have been introduced to more than 800 islands with devastating impacts.
There have been at least 48 attempts to eradicate rabbits from islands with about a 95% success
rate, but even on small islands eradicating rabbits is very difficult and often requires a
combination of techniques. The Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Council (hereafter
referred to as the Invasive Animals CRC) hosted an international workshop in February 2010 to
share and progress knowledge and experience of rabbit eradications, particularly on islands
(Murphy et al. 2010). The workshop brought together international experts to discuss ways to
improve eradication on islands. The group suggested innovative methods that could be trialled
in future, such as fibre optics and remote cameras, rabbit lures (e.g. pheromones), hair tubes,
and Judas rabbits. Remote cameras, in particular, have become a useful tool for monitoring
rabbit populations on islands e.g. Reef Island, Victoria and Macquarie Island.
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In Australia, many commendable rabbit eradication plans have been implemented on islands.
Rabbits have previously been eradicated from Cabbage Tree Island in NSW (Priddel et al.
2000), but more recently they have been eradicated from Montague Island and Broughton
Island, NSW in 2007 and 2009 respectively (Priddel D. in Murphy et al. 2010), Reef Island in
2013 (Port Phillip and Western Port CMA 2013), and are almost eradicated from Macquarie
Island (Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service 2013). Further information on these island
eradications is provided below:
Case study 1.1
Montague Island, NSW (82 hectares) had two pest species, rabbits and mice. While there were
only a few rabbits on the island, they were considered a major hurdle to the regeneration of
trees and shrubs and were likely to be responsible for the spread of weeds such as kikuyu,
which entangles burrow nesting seabirds. The knockdown method used on Montague Island
involved a natural outbreak of RHD, followed by aerial baiting. Both rabbits and house mice
were successfully eradicated by 2009. The island welcomed the first endangered Goulds petrel
birth in recorded history on the island in 2013, a feat NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
(NPWS) puts down to successful weed and pest control programs (Priddel et al. 2011).
Broughton Island, NSW (144 hectares) was aerially baited for rats and rabbits in August 2009.
Detector dogs were used to search for surviving rabbits on Broughton Island in November
2009, but failed to detect any sign of them. One month later Goulds petrel (Pterodroma
leucoptera) was recorded breeding there for the first time. Monitoring for the presence of rats
and rabbits is continuing (Priddel et al. 2011).
Case study 1.2
Reef Island, Victoria (a tidal island) is a small nature conservation reserve that is a significant
roosting site for native shorebirds like red-capped plovers. Reef Island had a small,
uncontrolled rabbit population that was allowed to increase over the years. While the rabbits
themselves actually posed little direct threat to the shorebirds living out on the shoreline, the
foxes they attracted on the other hand, did pose a threat to the birds. A 1080 rabbit baiting
program in 2013 was successful in wiping out the rabbit population on the island. Remote
cameras deployed on the island now show no evidence of any rabbits and native vegetation is
beginning to regenerate. The foxes now have little to attract them to the island and are being
baited on the mainland before entry to the causeway to provide further protection. The Ramsar
Protection Program is coordinated by the Port Phillip and Westernport CMA, with funding
from the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country (Port Phillip and Western Port CMA
2013).
Case study 1.3
The world’s largest eradication project for three species (rabbits, mice and rats) is nearing
completion on Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean. Success in controlling rabbits on the
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island was largely determined by the variable virulence of myxomatosis. A seven year program
began in 2007 with the aim of restoring the island’s biodiversity to a natural balance, free of the
impacts of introduced species. Aerial baiting of rabbits in 2011 achieved the greatest impact in
reducing rabbit numbers after which the hunting phase began with the objective of removing
the small number of rabbits that survived the baiting. As at December 2012, a total of 13
rabbits had been found and killed, the last of them killed in November 2011 (Tasmanian Parks
and Wildlife Service 2013). There are estimates of fewer than five remaining on the island.
More than one year after the baiting there are encouraging signs that the eradication effort has
been successful and the island’s vegetation, insect and bird life are showing signs of recovery.
Populations of some bird species are slowly increasing, with the island’s burrowing petrels
being the main beneficiaries. In particular, blue petrels, previously restricted to breeding on
offshore rock stacks due to rat predation, have begun to breed again on the main island.
Likewise, grey petrels have shown increased breeding success and have fledged greater
numbers of chicks. In the first breeding season since baiting finished (2012), Antarctic terns are
now breeding on the island’s cobblestone beaches in far greater numbers than previously, when
they were restricted to less accessible rock stacks (Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service
2013).
The Tasmania Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment scientists
started monitoring Macquarie Island’s vegetation in the 1980s. Their exclosure plots and photomonitoring sites have provided graphic visual evidence of just how badly the island was
degraded under the pressure of a rabbit population estimated at more than 100 000. It was a
landscape-scale catastrophe that saw increased incidence of landslips resulting from the
island’s denudation and subsequent erosion. Without grazing pressure it is expected some of
the three weed species on the island will increase initially and then hopefully decrease as the
native species re-establish. There may also have been new arrivals of weeds that have gone
unnoticed simply because it has been too hard to identify plants that were so heavily grazed.
Reports from other island eradication projects indicate that even in the same archipelago,
different plant species have responded quite differently to the removal of pest species. If in
another few years the eradication is deemed to have been successful, it will set a new
benchmark in island eradications for its size, multiple species, remoteness and challenging
environment (Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service 2013).
Mainland islands
Mainland ‘islands’ are more problematic with regard to rabbit eradication as the risk of
reinvasion is very high and ongoing. There are however, at least two cases where mainland
rabbit eradication has been successfully implemented. These are summarised below:
Case study 1.4
The Arid Recovery Reserve near Roxby Downs in outback South Australia is a prime example
of a successful rabbit eradication program within a conservation sensitive area. Read et al.
(2011) describe in detail the procedure for eradication of rabbits within the fenced Arid
Recovery Reserve. Initially rabbit numbers were lowered by the arrival of RHD virus in 1996.
Smaller paddocks within the areas were then fenced off and baited with 1080, after which all
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warrens were destroyed by either explosives or more commonly by hand ripping. All re-opened
warrens were fumigated using either chloropicrin, phosphide tablets, or were exploded using
LPG gas. After initial warren destruction, soft-jawed leg-hold traps were set on buckheaps
(rabbit latrines), in burrow entrances and on runways. When rabbit numbers were reduced to
approximately 1 per km2, individual rabbits were tracked on foot and traps set, every morning
for several weeks until captured (Read et al. 2011).
The last few rabbits can display strong avoidance behaviour, and as such, can be particularly
difficult to eradicate. At Arid Recovery, the last four rabbits took nearly six months to remove
from a 30 km2 exclosure. The last rabbit took nearly four months of continuous effort by two
people. These last rabbits did not use holes, buckheaps, runways, did not travel along the same
track more than once, and regularly moved great distances (several kilometres). They were also
trap-shy and human-shy. Persistent effort with soft jaw-traps eventually caught these last
rabbits. Any incursions since becoming rabbit-free were comparatively easy to catch, since they
were naïve to traps, and exhibited normal site fidelity and repetitive behaviour (Read et al.
2011).
Case study 1.5
Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary in Canberra Nature Park was established in 2009 to protect
critically endangered Yellow Box – Red Gum Grassy Woodland communities. The 485 ha
sanctuary is surrounded by a rabbit-, cat- and fox-proof fence, with the aim to remove
introduced plants and animals to allow the native plants and animals to recover. To facilitate
the recovery of a fully functioning ecosystem, another goal is also to re-establish native animals
that once occurred in the region, but have become locally extinct. As of March 2013, feral cats
and foxes have been removed from the sanctuary, and the eastern or Tasmanian bettong
(Bettongia gaimardi) and brown treecreeper, (Climacteris picumnus) have been re-introduced
(Munro 2013).
Rabbits and hares have not yet been eradicated, and control activities are planned for the next
few years as part of an adaptive rabbit management plan developed in 2012 outlining control
options and a control and monitoring program (Munro 2013). Recent data suggests there are up
to 580 rabbits within the Sanctuary (Munro pers comm). Rabbit and hare eradication is made
more difficult in Mulligans Flat due to the release of eastern bettongs in April 2012. Also, the
sanctuary is of high conservation value, which may preclude the use of some control
techniques. As such, the rabbit and hare eradication will not be able to use poison baits that
may also be attractive to bettongs, warren ripping is unlikely to be effective as many of the
rabbits have taken to living under log piles rather than in warrens, and regular (e.g. daily)
shooting is not possible as the area is adjacent to suburbs and is open to the public. The
suggested program for rabbit control begins with RHD baiting, followed by warren fumigation
and/or destruction. This is then planned to be followed by intense control which includes RHD
baiting, warren removal, shooting and trapping. At this stage, is not expected that rabbits will
be eradicated until at least the end of 2016 (Munro 2013).
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Summary

Rabbits have largely reached their ecological limits in Australia therefore the objective to
“prevent rabbits occupying new areas” is less relevant than for other pest species that may
still be expanding their range.

There have been several successful eradications of rabbits from offshore islands
(Broughton, Montague, Macquarie) in the last five years. Several mainland exclosures
conserving high priority conservation sites have proven to be a useful tool for isolating and
eradicating populations of rabbits on the mainland.
Conclusions and recommendations
There is some difficulty in prioritising areas for rabbit control on a national level as their
impacts are so widespread. A more important objective for rabbits is to minimise their impact
by reducing their abundance and maintaining low numbers rather than attempt total eradication,
except in the case of offshore island and mainland exclosures. The prioritisation process for
protection of mainland areas needs to be specific to the species being protected and occur on a
regional scale.
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Table 1 - Management plans for priority listed offshore islands as identified by Ecosure (2009).
Island
Management Plan
Bribie Island (Qld)
No current management plan was identified.
Ecosure (2009) recommend that, given the high number of pest species present and the
high potential for reinvasion, comprehensive management planning is needed.
Stakeholders should build on existing fire management plans and relatively high level of
knowledge of species present, and develop a vision and series of objectives for an island
management plan.
Erith Island and Deal
Island (Tas.)
No island specific management plans were identified, but these islands are covered in the
Terrestrial Portion of the Kent Group National Park Management Plan 2005 (Tasmanian
Parks and Wildlife Service 2005) that identifies rabbits as a management issue.
The management plan prescribes to:
- Undertake baseline population monitoring on Deal Island of Bennetts wallaby and
rabbit using a methodology appropriate to the level of resources available and based on
relevant scientific advice.
- Develop and implement an integrated exotic fauna management plan.
- Eradicate exotic animals in the following order of priority: feral cat, European rabbit,
brown rat, black rat and house mouse.
French Island (Vic.)
Ecosure (2009) recommends support for the national park initiative to develop a
management plan for the island. This should include gathering updated information on
the status and distribution of indigenous species and pest species, some of which will
require targeted survey. Also develop associated plans and studies to determine
feasibility of pest eradication and risk assessments of invasion and methods of sustaining
effective biosecurity. From these results, develop operational plans and support for the
eradication or management of pests and for the associated biosecurity plans that need to
be continually tested and refined (Ecosure 2009).
Great Dog and Babel
Island (Tas.)
No island specific management plans were identified.
Ecosure (2009) recommends holding meetings amongst owners and any other
stakeholders to discuss the potential way forward in restoring these islands and support
that they will need to achieve this. Some existing ranger models from NT may help in
this case. Following meetings, survey the islands to confirm status of indigenous species
and pest species. With landowners/stakeholders develop a vision, objectives and
management plan for the island using the survey findings as a basis for the plan. Several
additional components may need researching as feasibility studies in support of the
management plan and eradication of the full suite of vertebrate pests if possible. Ideally
the pests should be targeted at one time, i.e. poison for mice, rats and rabbits, and followup hunting and trapping for surviving animals. This approach may not be possible
however given that some susceptible non-target species may be present (e.g. swift parrot,
wedge-tailed eagle, oystercatchers, hooded plover and pademelon) and appropriate plans
need to be developed to mitigate risks to those species. Existing biosecurity efficacy and
future biosecurity needs will also need to be assessed prior to the eradications (Ecosure
2009).
Macquarie Island
Rabbit eradication project underway with fewer than five rabbits estimated to remain on
the island in January 2013 (Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service 2013).
Nooramunga
offshore islands
(Vic.)
Parks Victoria is preparing a draft management plan for the Nooramunga Marine and
Coastal Park (Johnston 2008).
Phillip Island (Vic.)
Phillip Island Nature Park Environment Plan 2012 – 2017 identifies rabbits as a key pest
species. Landcare is currently undertaking rabbit control on Phillip Island, including
baiting on private property (Bass Coast Landcare Network 2013).
Quail island (Vic.)
No island specific management plan was identified.
Ecosure (2009) recommend updating survey information on threatened fauna and other
significant fauna values, e.g. orange-bellied parrot. Complete feasibility study for
protecting those sensitive biota from pest impacts – need to consider eradication/control
options and sustainability questions.
Swan island (Tas.)
No island specific management plan was identified.
Ecosure (2009) recommends developing a management plan for the island. Cats are top
priority to eradicate, but an integrated package of pest removal is ideal. Address
information gaps, e.g. pest status, feasibility of eradications, non-target issues,
biosecurity needs and monitoring needs. Proceed with pest eradications if feasibility and
sustainability indicate likely success. These small islands can offer a highly costeffective restoration package.
Three Hummock
Islands (Tas.)
No island specific management plan was identified.
Ecosure (2009) recommends considering the removal of cats and rabbits and potentially
other pests in island management planning. Authorities, owners and other stakeholders
should consider scoping a vision and restoration objectives for the island and
subsequently preparing a management plan. The management plan is likely to address
key areas where more information is needed, e.g. status and distribution of indigenous
fauna, feasibility of eradications, non-target issues and managing visitor impacts and
related biosecurity measures.
Kangaroo Island
(SA)
Kangaroo Island is currently rabbit and fox free. The introduction of rabbits to the
island would potentially cause significant problems to island ecosystems.
Dirk Hartog (WA)
Rabbits do not currently occur on the island (WA Department of Environment and
Conservation (2012). The introduction of rabbits to the island would potentially cause
significant problems to island ecosystems.
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Objective 2: Promote maintenance and recovery of native species and eco communities
that are affected by rabbit competition and land degradation.
Broad scale eradication of rabbits from Australia is not feasible using the methods and
resources currently available, except in some island/exclusion zone situations (see Objective 1).
Nevertheless, keeping rabbit numbers low (in some cases less than one rabbit per hectare), is of
vital importance to numerous native species (Mutze et al. 2008).
Rabbit grazing impacts negatively on many native species: 76 species of threatened animals
(46 birds, 20 mammals, 7 reptiles and 1 invertebrate, 1 fish and 1 amphibian species) and
266 threatened plant species are directly affected by rabbits (DSEWPaC 2013). Many more
animals, plants and vegetation communities are indirectly affected by rabbits and their
activities. Competition with, and land degradation caused by, rabbits is listed as a key
threatening process under Schedule 3 of the Commonwealth Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
There are several actions identified in achieving this objective and these are outlined below:
Action 2.1 Identify priority areas for rabbit control based on:
a)
the significance of the regional population of the affected species or of the ecological
community
b)
the degree of threat posed by rabbits to species and ecological communities relative to
other threats
c)
the cost effectiveness of maintaining rabbit populations below an identified damage
threshold
d)
the feasibility of effective remedial action
e)
the possibility of eradicating the rabbit population
Action 2.2 Conduct and monitor regional rabbit control, through new or existing programs, in
priority areas identified.
Action 2.3 Apply existing and new incentives to promote and maintain on-ground rabbit
control on private or leasehold lands within or adjacent to priority sites.
The identification of native species and habitats that will benefit most from coordinated rabbit
control is clearly important in the protection of affected species and conservation of biological
diversity. Recovery plans for a number of threatened species identify competition and land
degradation by rabbits as a threat. They also identify areas of habitat critical for the survival of
these species. The Action Plan for Threatened Australian Macropods (WWF Australia 2011),
for example, identifies rabbit control as a priority action for key population sites of threatened
macropod species, including the black-footed rock wallaby Petrogale lateralis, brush tailed
15
rock wallaby Petrogale penicillata, yellow-footed rock wallaby Petrogale xanthopus, and the
banded hare-wallaby Lagostrophus fasciatus. The banded hare-wallaby (listed as Vulnerable
under the EPBC Act 1999), is restricted to the offshore Bernier, Dorre and Faure islands in
Shark Bay, Western Australia. Introduced rabbits, rats and mice pose a threat to banded harewallabies on these islands as they have altered the vegetation so that refuge areas during
periods of drought no longer exist. This habitat degradation, combined with changes in fire
regimes in some areas, is thought to have increased the risk of local extinctions of this species.
There is no information available about interactions between banded hare-wallabies and
rabbits, however the action plan recommends that where possible rabbits should be excluded
from these islands to facilitate recreating past habitats, and avoid the potential for intra-specific
competition (WWF 2011).
Similarly, the National Recovery Plan for the frog Philoria frosti (listed as endangered under
the EPBC Act 1999) has identified rabbit grazing as a key threat (Hollis et al. 2011). The plan
outlines programs to control and/or monitor pest populations including rabbits. The program,
run by Parks Victoria, Mt Baw Baw Alpine Resort Management Board and the Victorian
Government, is currently trialling pindone baits as part of an ongoing control program.
Increasingly, regional multi-species recovery plans have been implemented, particularly for
plants, in an attempt to foster a more holistic understanding of the species and ecological
communities at risk within a region, and provide more effective and efficient means to promote
their recovery. The Mount Lofty Ranges regional recovery plan, for example, attempts to assess
and prioritise threatened species across multiple taxa within a region, and provide a framework
for their recovery planning and management (Wilson and Bignall 2009). The recovery plan has
used a prioritisation tool to specifically identify locations where grazing by rabbits is a threat to
threatened species and ecological communities.
Similarly, the Eyre Peninsula NRM Management Board has developed a rabbit control plan
(funded by the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country program) as part of a multispecies response to several threatened plants across the region. The main focus of the project is
to protect remaining stands of nine threatened species from grazing by rabbits, including chalky
wattle, club spear grass and west coast mint bush. Property plans for rabbit control have been
developed for each landholder involved in the project, which involved mapping the threatened
plants and rabbits on properties, provision of technical advice on rabbit control and vegetation
protection, and provision of bait and equipment. A total of 11,248 ha was baited using oats
laced with 1080 poison. This equates to 112,480 ha of land actively controlled for rabbits as
rabbits are known to move in a radius of a least 500m from their warrens to find oat trails. An
additional 50,000 ha was actively searched for rabbit presence but none in the following season
(Eyre Peninsula NRM Management Board 2011).
Notwithstanding the above examples, the review found only a few initiatives in the past five
years where rabbit control was undertaken for the sole purpose of abating threat for a particular
species and/or vegetation community. The reality is that rabbit, or any other pest, control is
rarely initiated to promote the recovery of a single threatened species or ecological community,
and is usually undertaken as part of a larger land management strategy.
16
The review found examples of rabbit control programs occurring throughout Australia, many of
which are run through local councils. These programs often run in response to community
concerns, rather than threatened species abatement and often lack strategic prioritisation due to
inefficient funding and other local priorities. Wider community-based rabbit control programs
are required that involve on ground control on private lands. The Hume City Council (2013),
for example, developed a rabbit action plan that prioritises areas for rabbit control based on
landholder surveys, threatened species abundance and patch size of remnant vegetation areas at
a local scale. They used remote sensing modelling to determine the distribution of native
vegetation to prioritise where pest animal control may have the greatest impact for remnant
vegetation (i.e. the largest patches). Control was also prioritised according to where threatened
species were most impacted by rabbits (e.g. presence of golden sun moth, matted flax-lily,
eastern barred bandicoot and spiny rice-flower). Landholder surveys assisted in providing data
on where there were high concentrations of rabbits. Areas with high biodiversity values and a
high concentration of landowners reporting issues with rabbits were prioritised for a
coordinated control program. In addition, areas with low levels of pest animals, but with very
high environmental, social, economic or cultural heritage assets were also considered for
control as these areas required a lower level of resources to maintain biodiversity values.
Another good example of strategic, community based rabbit control is the Strategic
Biodiversity Corridor Enhancement project lead by the SA Department of Environment, Water
and Natural Resources (DEWNR). Funded by the Australian Government’s Caring for Country
initiative, this is a unique cross-border multi-agency collaboration project to control rabbits
along a 42 km stretch of land north of Bordertown along the state border and on several arterial
roads. The project will focus on increasing native vegetation and reducing the impacts of
rabbits along the South Australian and Victorian border. A number of threatened plant species
(e.g. Phebalium lowanense) and communities (e.g. Buloke woodlands and grey box
woodlands) exist in the project area. These plants are also important food sources for
threatened native animals like red tailed black cockatoos and malleefowl. Effective rabbit
control at the project sites will allow natural regeneration of native plant species. The project
requires cooperation of landholders, local councils and environmental agencies from both states
and aims to recognise and support the efforts of private landholders to control rabbits by
ensuring that public land is effectively treated. This includes a landscape scale ripping program
to destroy warrens across an area wide enough to prevent re-infestation as well as other
traditional control methods such as biological control agents, fumigation and baiting to ensure
long term results. The project was, however, only has funding for one year and is unlikely to
achieve long term conservation benefits without the ongoing cooperation and investment by
landholders. It is anticipated that landholders may be able to access further grants in the future
to subsidise the costs of rabbit control on their property. The relevant authorities in each state
will monitor the project sites as part of their normal compliance programs to protect the
investment that has been made through this project (SA DEWNR 2012).
The review found that the vast majority of rabbit management programs occur on an ad hoc
basis, largely due to lack of funding. An economic decision model that helps maximise cost–
benefit outcomes has been developed (Cooke et al. 2012b), which provides a framework for
rabbit control programs and helps determine progress on a regional scale. For example, a model
17
developed by Cooke et al. (2010) for rabbits across south-eastern Australia showed that it pays
to invest in the protection of vegetation that is intact and shows a high capacity to regenerate,
rather than spending money on badly degraded vegetation. Such information is useful for
making plans and setting priorities for future conservation of vegetation, especially where
funds are limited (Cooke et al. 2010). An example of a cost effective rabbit control strategy is
currently occurring in the Canberra Nature Park.
Case study 2.1
Rabbits are a prime cause of degradation in the Canberra Nature Park and their impacts are
worsened through interactions with grazing by other herbivores, drought and burning, and by
sustaining populations of predatory foxes and cats. Monitoring indices of rabbit abundance
using spotlight transects or counts of active entrances to warrens is used as a guide to the likely
level of damage caused by rabbits. Systematic monitoring of rabbit abundance in the Canberra
Nature Park began in 2007 to cost-effectively prioritise and manage control operations.
Systematic regular monitoring of rabbits in the nearby Namadgi National Park since 1993
shows that rabbits may be developing resistance to RHD virus, giving a timely warning of a
likely resurgence of rabbits and their damage.
Williams (2011) suggests that the most cost-effective way of controlling rabbits in the Canberra
Nature Park comprises an initial primary control by poisoning, warren-ripping and fumigation,
followed by peri-annual maintenance control by fumigation. This best-practice methodology is
characterised by more costly primary control and cheaper maintenance control that sequentially
declines exponentially in effort and cost to very low levels. As of 2011, primary control of
rabbits and two sequences of maintenance control have been implemented and monitored
strategically on the Mt Ainslie-Mt Majura area, while five more areas within the Canberra
Nature Park have received primary control. A protocol has been developed for a possible
prioritisation tool for rabbit control. Areas in the Canberra Nature Park that have received the
primary control treatment and perhaps one (or more) maintenance control treatments could be
removed from the analysis and given top priority, in order to protect the large earlier
investment. As the program progresses the accumulating areas within the Canberra Nature Park
subject to maintenance control treatments could be assessed in the same way as the above. At
that stage costs should be low and it should be possible to treat all areas in the Canberra Nature
Park with maintenance control treatments.
Williams (2011) found that the prioritisation of areas within the Canberra Nature Park for
rabbit control was difficult due to limited and inconsistent funding. This caused unavoidable
operational inefficiencies that confound cost-effective control of rabbits, irrespective of efforts
of skilled staff to compensate and deal with the situation strategically. An example is the
unavailability of contractors as funding uncertainties discourage potential rabbit control
contractors from training for accreditation and establishing viable businesses.
Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of pest control programs is critical in determining the
effectiveness of management and providing information to enable programs to be continually
adapted and improved to achieve the defined objectives. Monitoring, evaluation, reporting and
18
improvement are the four components of adaptive management. Adaptive management is a
systematic approach that implements, learns and adapts management actions in order to achieve
the best possible outcomes. While the importance of monitoring is generally well accepted, the
review found little reported information on the outcome of many of the control programs.
Nevertheless, there some good examples of adaptive management currently occurring, such as
the Bounceback program in the Flinders Ranges (Invasive Animals CRC 2011a).
Case Study 7
Bounceback has focused its broad-scale rabbit control program in the north-eastern section of
the Flinders Ranges National Park. With densities of more than 100 warrens per km², this area
had the most concentrated rabbit infestation of any property within the Bounceback footprint.
The program achieved success in reducing rabbit impacts to improve the ecology of the area
and, outside of the national park, the grazing country, primarily using warren destruction
(Invasive Animals CRC 2011a).
Quarterly spotlight counts, conducted in treated and untreated sections of Flinders Ranges
National Park, were used to measure the effectiveness of rabbit control in the park. Spotlight
counts from 1996-2006 revealed that in untreated areas rabbit densities averaged 400 rabbits
per 100 km of spotlight transect, 10 times the number in treated areas (around 40 rabbits per
100 km). Since then, numbers have increased in both treated and untreated areas as the impact
of RHD has lessened and, more recently, in dramatic response to good seasons. 2010-11
surveys indicate an average of 2500 rabbits per 100 km in untreated areas, compared with
around 200 rabbits per 100 km in treated areas. Removal of a key predator as a result of the
broadscale fox baiting program also contributed to the very high rabbit numbers in the park.
Rabbit control in the Flinders Ranges has been very labour intensive and the effort required for
follow-up manual search and destruction of warrens has proved to be unsustainable. The fouryear treatment cycle has not been achievable in the last few years, due to increased vegetation
growth in the control area. Increased plant cover, due to effective control and a run of good
years, has made it harder to locate new holes and rabbits also use the increased cover for shelter
instead of being completely reliant on warrens. An external review of the program in 2009
concluded that warren blasting, on its own, could not maintain reduced rabbit densities.
Bounceback is now using 1080 poison oat baiting as a supplementary control method in a
recovering landscape (Invasive Animals CRC 2011a).
19
Summary
The identification of native species and habitats that will benefit most from coordinated rabbit
control is important in the protection of affected native species and ecological communities.
Recovery plans for a number of threatened species, as well as regional multi-species plans,
identify rabbits as a key threat and this has, in some cases, prompted rabbit action plans to be
developed and implemented. Nevertheless, rabbit control is rarely initiated due to a single
threatened species or ecological community recovery and is usually undertaken as part of a
larger management plan or strategy for multiple reasons, including agricultural and social. The
review found numerous rabbit control programs occurring throughout Australia, many of which
are run locally and on an ad hoc basis without follow up monitoring. These programs often run
in response to community concerns, rather than being focused specifically on the recovery of
threatened species. They often lack strategic prioritisation due to inefficient funding and are
overlaid with other local scale priorities. The recent development of economic decision models
may help to maximise the cost–benefit ratio of the expenditure and provide a framework for
adaptive management of rabbits on a regional scale.
Conclusions and recommendations

While there are many rabbit programs in place, these are often undertaken on an ad hoc
basis i.e. when funding becomes available. Economic decision models recently developed
need to be implemented into regional plans to ensure the maximisation of the cost-benefit
ratio of the expenditure.

While there are numerous rabbit action plans, there is often little reported information on
the outcome of these projects. Ongoing monitoring is an essential part of adaptive
management and needs to be an active component of any management plan.

Landscape scale community-based rabbit control programs that involve on ground control
on private and public land, such as the Strategic Biodiversity Corridor Enhancement in
South Australia, are most effective.

With the exception of some NRM groups, funding bodies rarely take into consideration
priority sites for rabbit control and appear to work on an ad hoc basis. By explicitly
determining priority sites at a regional level, it may be possible to better direct funding to
those areas.
20
Objective 3 – Improve knowledge and understanding of rabbit impacts and interactions
with other species and other ecological processes
There have been numerous studies completed in the past five years that have increased our
knowledge and understanding of the impact of rabbits and their interactions with other species.
This section initially provides an assessment of the objective and then provides additional
details on actions under the objective.
Rabbits have previously been shown to affect the ecosystem by overgrazing, promoting growth
of introduced plant species and restricting regeneration of trees and shrubs. The release of RHD
virus in 1995 enabled the first widespread regeneration of palatable shrubs and trees in inland
Australia (Sandell 2006) since myxomatosis was introduced in the 1950s. In some instances,
RHD resulted in the first effective regeneration of some native plant species since rabbits
arrived (Cooke et al. 2012b). A number of studies in the past have recorded general
improvement in condition of native vegetation since the release of RHD virus, including the
reversal of impending structural changes and/or floristic changes (Sandell and Start 1999;
Sinclair 2005). In a more recent study, Mutze et al. (2008) found that there was a rapid increase
in several orchid populations in Coorong National Park following the release of RHD virus.
Unfortunately, after a decade or so of relatively low numbers, the effectiveness of RHD is
declining and rabbits are now increasing (Sandell 2006). This effectively means that rabbits are
beginning to reverse much of natural vegetation recovery gained during the late 1990s even
though more and more money is being spent on rabbit control each year (Cooke 2012b).
Across Australia, there is a growing list of plant species known to be severely affected by
rabbit browsing in at least some part of their natural range. Recent studies of plant species have
added to the already significant list of affected species. For example, Munro et al. (2009) found
that the recruitment of umbrella bush (Acacia ligulata), mulga, silver cassia and sandhill wattle
was significantly reduced at sites with rabbit browsing, while Cooke (2012b) added narrowleaved emu bush Eremophila alternifolia and creeping saltbush (Rhagodia spinescens) to the
list.
Many other arid zone trees and shrubs have highly palatable seedlings and their long term
outlook remains dire despite the substantial reduction in rabbit numbers (Denham and Auld
2004). While RHD has had some good impacts particularly for the more palatable perennial
plants such as the orchids, rabbit grazing on seed-lines is most severe in late summer when
there is little alternative green feed available, and that is when RHD has provided least benefits.
The plight of these species is illustrated by that of mulga (Acacia aneura), the dominant small
tree across vast traces of central Australia. A study of mulga recruitment in the northern
Flinders Rangers has recorded almost no seedling survival outside rabbit-proof fenced areas
during the past 28 years (Mutze et al. 2008). Even at two sites where rabbit population density
was reduced to approximately one rabbit per square kilometre, rabbits still removed up to half
the seedlings in a few months. Since mulgas grow slowly, they remain susceptible to rabbit
grazing for many years and recruitment is prevented. This is just one example of a widespread
problem.
21
A recent, as yet unpublished, study looked at the relationship between rabbit population density
and the percentage cover of pasture species and recruitment of palatable perennial shrubs in
arid zones across the Flinders Ranges SA, and in temperate regions (Mt Lofty Ranges,
Coorong, and central Victoria (Mutze pers comm.). The study found that there was a
recruitment pulse post-RHD and that rabbit damage increased with rabbit density for all
species, but more quickly for more palatable species. Damage was apparent at high levels in the
highly palatable species at 1 rabbit/ha in both temperate and arid sites. Where rabbits had not
been controlled by manual control methods, most of the recruits of palatable species were again
severely damaged by recovering rabbit populations. The study also found that increased rabbit
density resulted in decreased native species cover and diversity, but increased weed cover and
diversity, a relationship consistent across arid and temperate regions (Mutze unpublished data).
Several recent studies have concluded that a very low density of rabbits (0.5 rabbits per ha) is
required to inhibit the regeneration of seedlings of many palatable native trees (Cooke et al.
2010, Bird et al. 2012). This limit may be even lower in some arid-zone habitats (Mutze pers
comm.). This poses a threat to entire vegetation communities and their dependent fauna, not
just individual species. Recent experiments involving still common native mammals have
shown that rabbits deplete essential resources. Mutze et al. (2008) looked at the impacts of
reduced rabbit numbers on red kangaroos Macropus rufus and wallaroos Macropus robustus in
the Flinders Ranges. Before RHD, kangaroos responded to rabbit control by moving into areas
where rabbit abundance had been greatly reduced (through warren ripping etc.) to take
advantage of the extra food available, and maintained higher numbers there regardless of
seasonal conditions. After RHD, there was rapid dispersal to more uniform distribution.
Controlling rabbits had effectively removed them as significant competitors. Post-RHD
population recovery has also been reported for the arid-zone granivorous rodents, spinifex
hopping mice and plain mice (Read 2003). Bird et al. (2012) confirmed previous studies that
wombats repopulated areas following rabbit removal because perennial grasses were more
readily available despite little change in total pasture biomass. It is likely that the benefits of
RHD may have been widespread among native mammals, even if poorly quantified for most
species.
Exclosures where rabbits have been completely eradicated have provided a unique chance to
study the impacts rabbits are having on the environment (Read et al. 2011). Studies show that
there are significant changes in flora structure (Munro et al. 2009) since the removal of rabbits.
Post rabbit-eradication increases have also been found for fauna species, for example, goannas
and rodents (Moseby et al. 2009; Read & Cunningham 2010).
There may also be more indirect impacts of rabbits not immediately obvious. For example,
Gibson and Florentine (2008) found that inhibited native pine (Callitris gracilis) recruitment
due to intense rabbit grazing between 1880s and 1950 is now potentially limiting nesting
hollows for threatened Major Mitchell’s cockatoos Lophochroa leadbeateri. The most common
living trees were between 47 and 60 years old in the Murray-Sunset National Park, Victoria
(Gibson and Florentine 2008). Hollows suitable for Major Mitchell’s cockatoo breeding are
likely to be at least 80 years old (Gibson and Florentine 2008).
22
Another concern has been for Australian raptors (e.g. wedge-tailed eagles) where it is believed
they may have become dependent on rabbits as prey. Steele and Baker-Gabb (2009) used a
community-based sighting database to compare raptor numbers before and after the
introduction of RHD virus in 1995-96 in south-eastern Australia and found no detectable
effects. More recently, a study by Olsen et al. (2013) in the ACT has suggested that the control
of rabbits using the toxin pindone is causing some mortality of little eagles (Hieraaetus
morphnoides) due to the consumption of carcasses.
Read et al. (2011) found that non-target species in arid areas most likely to be affected by rabbit
control are those that may use warrens such as reptiles, and grain-eating birds that might be
attracted to poisoned baits such as pigeons and crows. Post rabbit-eradication increases in the
native fauna indicate that conservation outcomes of these potential non-target species are
typically enhanced, rather than threatened by rabbit control (Edwards et al. 2002).
23
3.1 Develop simple cost-effective methods for monitoring rabbit populations and the impacts of
rabbits relative to other kinds of impacts
Few land managers have the skills necessary to recognise rabbit impact on natural vegetation,
in particular the low density of rabbits required (0.5 rabbits per ha) to inhibit the regeneration
of seedlings of palatable native trees (Cooke et al. 2010, Bird et al. 2012). This has implications
for many land managers and national parks rangers, who often do not recognise they have a
rabbit problem despite rabbits at 5 – 10 rabbits per hectare in some instances (Cooke 2012b).
Educational material to help land managers recognise rabbit damage to native vegetation has
been developed as a step towards a properly integrated landscape approach to rabbit control.
Integrated rabbit control refers to the use of a combination of techniques (biological agents and
conventional control methods such warren ripping) rather than one single control method in
order to achieve effective long term control.
Several information resources have been published in recent years and are free to access online.
A single procedure that land managers can readily use to simultaneously monitor populations
of multiple pest animal species was developed by Read and Eldridge (2009). The aim of these
manuals is to provide details of techniques available for monitoring rabbits and give step-bystep descriptions of the process. Three publications are given below (note: many states and
natural resource management groups also have their own guides):

Monitoring techniques for vertebrate pests: rabbits. Mitchell B. and Balogh S. Published
by the NSW Department of Primary Industries in 2007. This small book provides all the
different monitoring techniques for land managers to utilise in rabbit management
programs.

Rabbits: a threat to conservation and natural resource management. Cooke et al. (2008).
This booklet is designed to help land managers rapidly assess a rabbit problem and take
action.

Glovebox Guide for Managing Rabbits (Brown 2012) is part of the PestSmart Toolkit for
rabbits, produced by the Invasive Animals CRC. It is designed to provide current
information on best practice rabbit management for land managers, pest animal officers and
others involved in the management of rabbits.
It is important that ongoing monitoring developments feed back into these guidelines. Because
methods that attempt to estimate the actual number or density of animals in an area are often
difficult and expensive to implement, wildlife researchers and managers use various indices to
assess the relative abundance of species (Caughley 1977; Krebs 1998; Elphick 2008).
Spotlighting and active warren searching are the two most common methods currently used,
however new monitoring methods using camera traps should be noted. Latham et al. (2012)
found infra-red triggering cameras set up outside warrens to be a practical (low labour) and
robust alternative method of determining rabbit abundance for studies assessing large effect
sizes in study areas where other indices might not be suitable or practical. The study found that
cameras set up at fixed sampling locations are an effective, alternative method for estimating
the percentage of rabbits killed during control operations and may be more practicable where it
24
is not possible to drive transects or the terrain is too rugged or scrubby for transects (Latham et
al. 2012).
A project has just been completed that looks at different tools for monitoring rabbits and links
this directly to the impact. Lethbridge et al. (2013) looked at rabbits in a semi-arid area and a
temperate area. There was a good correlation to the numbers of rabbits spotlighted and the
piles of dung from the rabbits in an area. A link was also made to the grazed vegetation
considering the damage to both palatable and non-palatable species in an area. Lethbridge et
al. (2013) determined that at 0.5 rabbits per hectare most palatable species are eaten out and at
1-2 rabbits per hectare most of the moderately palatable species are eaten out. A ‘Resilience
Failure Indicator’ has been developed with five levels that land managers can use to determine
the impact of the number of rabbits in an area.
3.2 Identify the importance of rabbits for maintaining feral cat, fox and wild dog numbers, and
the potential effects of the removal of predators, so that control of these species can be
integrated to minimise risks to native species.
Pest species rarely occur in isolation from other pest species, and they often have direct and
indirect impacts on more than one native species. The future of conservation pest management
must continue to move towards integrated pest management in order to avoid unintended
consequences for other parts of the ecosystem, especially in complex food webs. The roles of
cats, foxes and wild dogs as predators of native wildlife and their exact interactions with rabbits
are difficult to clarify. Several studies have reported inter-specific relationships among rabbit,
cat, fox and dingo abundance (Read and Bowen 2001; Holden and Mutze 2002; Letnic et al.
2009), with fluctuations in the abundance of one or more of these species affecting the
abundance of others (Glen et al. 2007; Claridge and Hunt 2008).
There is a general consensus that rabbits support populations of pest predators, and there is
evidence that feral cat and fox numbers initially fell in response to lower rabbit numbers after
RHD virus spread in 1995 (Sandell and Start 1999), but there is still limited information on the
effects of these declines in predator numbers on their Australian native prey.
3.3 Identify any unintended effects that rabbit control may have if conducted in isolation from
other management activities.
A potential cost of predator control is an increase in rabbit abundance, which may cause
increased competition for food and other resources with native herbivores. Bergstrom et al.
(2009) demonstrated how a management intervention to eradicate cats has inadvertently
precipitated landscape-wide change on the sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island. Following
eradication of cats in 2001, rabbit numbers increased substantially resulting in island-wide
ecosystem effects and secondary consequences for breeding seabirds. While there has been
some criticism (Dowding et al. 2009) that rabbit increase was due to other factors (e.g. reduced
releases of Myxoma virus, abundant food after 20 years of vegetation recovery), this control
program highlights an important lesson for conservation agencies working to eradicate invasive
species globally; that is, risk assessment of management interventions must explicitly consider
and plan for possible indirect effects.
25
When rabbit control is undertaken, there is concern that cats and foxes will shift prey from
rabbits to native animals. Cooke and Fenner (2002) and Holden and Mutze (2002) found that
the dietary shift was offset by falls in predator abundance. However, the exact impact on native
species requires further research.
A recent study (Letnic et al. 2009) has looked into the role of dingos/wild dogs as top predators
in controlling mesopredators such as foxes and cats. Applying trophic cascade theory, it is
generally predicted that the effect of dingoes on other mammals should alternate with trophic
group and scale with body size (Letnic et al. 2009). Specifically, it is expected that kangaroos
and smaller invasive mesopredators, the red fox (3–7 kg) and feral cat (Felis catus: 2–5 kg),
would increase in the absence of dingoes as they would experience less predation or
harassment. Conversely, rabbits and other small mammals are expected to benefit from the
presence of dingo owing to reduced predation and competition from the mesopredators and
kangaroos (Letnic et al. 2009; Moseby et al. 2012).
Letnic et al. (2009), found that although the trends in the abundances of small mammals,
kangaroos, foxes and grasses on either side of the dingo fence conformed with these
predictions, the abundances of cats and rabbits did not. A previous study (Newsome et al. 2001)
and analyses of a subset of the data used in this paper (Letnic & Koch in press) found that
rabbits in the sand dune habitats of the Strzelecki Desert were more abundant in the presence
than in the absence of dingoes. However, when data from the sandy desert sites were pooled
with the results from sites examined in the Letnic et al. (2009) study, rabbits did not respond to
dingo removal. These observations suggest that the response of rabbits to dingo removal may
be context dependent (Letnic et al. 2009). Further research is required to determine what
impact the suppression of foxes and cats may have on rabbit populations and whether this
translates into a net benefit for threatened prey species.
Summary

The improvements in condition of native vegetation since the release of RHD virus are
likely to be reversing now that the effectiveness of RHD is declining and rabbit numbers
are again increasing. Across Australia, there is a growing list of plant species known to be
severely affected by rabbit browsing in at least some part of their natural range as further
studies are conducted.

Ongoing studies are revealing the exact impact rabbits are having on native species’
diversity. There is now evidence that increased rabbit density results in decreased native
flora cover and diversity, but increased weed cover and diversity, across arid and temperate
regions. Exclosures, in particular, have been useful in quantifying the impacts rabbits are
having on the environment.

We now know that even low density of rabbits (0.5 rabbits per ha) can inhibit the
regeneration of seedlings of many palatable native trees and this poses a long-term threat to
entire vegetation communities and their dependent fauna, not just individual species.
26

While there is a general consensus that rabbits support populations of pest predators, there
is still limited information on the effects of changes to predators in response to rabbit
control (both in numbers and in subsequent prey-switching) on their Australian native prey.
Further research is required to determine what impact the suppression of foxes and cats
may have on rabbit populations and whether this translates into a net benefit for threatened
prey species.

Simple cost-effective methods for monitoring rabbit populations and the impacts of rabbits
have been developed.
Conclusions and recommendations

It is recommended that an extra Action be added to this objective, titled “gain information
on the impact of rabbits and rabbit control”. Five years ago, published reports
recommended maintaining rabbits at 1-2 rabbits per hectare, whereas new studies show that
as few as 0.5 rabbits per hectare can inhibit plant growth. New information such as this is
critical in formulating new management responses.

The relationship between the key predators in Australia – dingoes/wild dogs, foxes and cats
– and rabbits needs to be further investigated. Firstly, how do the abundances of these
predators fluctuate in response to rabbit control and secondly, what is the nature of the shift
in predation to native species in response to rabbit control.
27
Objective 4: Improve the effectiveness, target specificity, integration and humaneness of
rabbit control options
Objective four is focused on providing land managers with better options to undertake rabbit
control programs. The objective has four actions which look at enhancing conventional control
methods (such as warren ripping, poisoning and fumigation) and maximising the effectiveness
of biocontrols. It also considers how best to help land managers integrate these control methods
into their management plans by providing training programs, model codes of practice, and
standard operating procedures.
The main focus of rabbit control research over the past five years has been increasing the
effectiveness of the biocontrol agent RHD virus through the RHD Boost project (Cox et al.
2013). This is in response to the apparent rising genetic resistance of rabbits to RHD virus
(Czech strain) and its limited effectiveness in temperate regions due to an already present
endemic virus, which protects many rabbits from the RHD virus strain. The project, run
through the Invasive Animals CRC (partly funded by Caring for our Country) has been
working to identify new RHD virus strains with high lethality to rabbits carrying immunity to
the present strains (see section 4.3).
While the importance of biocontrol agents cannot be overstated (myxomatosis and RHD are
estimated to have produced a benefit of $70 billion for agricultural industries over the last
60 years (Cooke et al. 2013)), there are concerns that there is a growing reliance on biocontrol
methods. However, all available literature on standard control efforts emphasise the importance
of integrated control, where a number of different control methods are applied, including
manual methods. The vast majority of rabbit control programs looked at in this review outlined
the use of several control techniques (see Objective 2), a positive sign that integrated rabbit
control is occurring throughout Australia.
Action 4.1 Enhance current methods for poisoning, warren ripping and warren fumigation to
ensure they are effective, target specific and humane, and develop alternatives as required.
There have been numerous advances in conventional rabbit control tools and methods with the
development of poisoning, warren ripping, and fumigation. The following summarises the
current status and advances made in each of these areas:
Poisoning
Poison baiting may be used as the first step of a control program. The objective of poisoning is
to remove a high percentage of rabbits, which will prevent the population from quickly
recovering, allowing time to implement follow up control such as warren destruction (Williams
1995). In some situations baiting may be the only immediately feasible solution to a problem,
such as rabbits living in dense vegetation on the edge of pastoral land.
There are different toxins available for use in different areas; however the most commonly used
is 1080 oat baits. Pindone can be used where 1080 cannot because of the risk to domestic pets,
such as in urban areas. Pindone also has an effective antidote, which is not the case for 1080.
28
Both the effectiveness and selectivity of poisoning rabbits are enhanced by pre-baiting with
non-poisoned bait and ensuring that only rabbits are taking the bait; using bait that is most
attractive to rabbits; using the minimum concentration of poison sufficient to kill rabbits;
placing the bait in the prime feeding areas of the rabbits; and collecting the carcasses of
poisoned rabbits to prevent secondary poisoning of non-target species (Invasive Animals CRC
2012a).
While there have been no new advances in the development of poisons for rabbit control in the
last five years, there are ongoing concerns about the humane use and target specificity of 1080
and pindone (see section 4.4).
Fumigation
Fumigation is a valuable follow up technique to poison baiting and warren ripping, and is a
particularly useful control method in areas where other techniques cannot be used (e.g. poison
baiting). Fumigation works by replacing the air in warrens with lethal gas. The fumigants
currently registered for use in Australia are chloropicrin and phosphine. There are concerns
about the use of these chemicals because they do not kill rabbits as humanely as other
chemicals (Marks 2009, Giglotti et al. 2009, see section 4.4). A more suitable alternative,
carbon monoxide, is currently being developed for warren fumigation.
The Invasive Animals CRC has developed a carbon monoxide (CO) fumigator for rabbits as an
improved approach to warren fumigation with respect to efficacy, ease of use, fumigator
portability, logistical use and the humaneness of the lethal outcome. As of July 2013, the
project had successfully re-engineered the initial prototype to improve field reliability and
operational performance. The aim is to complete field testing of prototype fumigators to meet
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority registration requirements (Invasive
Animals CRC 2012b).
Warren ripping
A rabbit control program that features warren and shelter site destruction is the most costeffective way to reduce rabbit populations and prevent ongoing damage, particularly when
applied over large, semi-arid areas. Rabbits can survive by building extensive underground
warrens or using above-ground shelter, such as lantana or blackberry bushes. With good
planning and coordination, long-term control can be achieved by removing or destroying the
areas that rabbits depend on for survival. Warren ripping is highly target specific, and can be
successfully employed at any time during the year. Rabbits do not readily dig new warrens, so
destruction of warrens greatly inhibits resurgence and re-colonisation of treated areas.
New tools are available, including a wide assortment of machines, such as log skidders and
backhoes, which can be used for warren and harbour site destruction while minimising damage
to native vegetation (Cooke 2012b).
29
There have been several studies in recent years highlighting the benefits of coordinated warren
ripping across properties to achieve long-term reductions in rabbit populations (McPhee and
Butler 2010; Berman et al. 2011). The reliance on biological control in arid areas has been
based on the belief that it was the only economically viable technique because of the vastness
of the areas to be treated by ripping and the concern that ripped areas may need to be re-treated.
However, warren ripping programs across Victoria were very successful in reducing rabbit
numbers for up to 10 years, whereas rabbit populations that were not managed returned to preRHD densities (McPhee and Butler 2010). Similarly, Berman et al. (2011) found that
destroying rabbit warrens by ripping caused an immediate reduction in rabbit activity, with
98% fewer rabbits counted by spotlight in ripped plots five months after ripping. Seven years
after ripping no active warrens were found in ripped plots, whereas 57% of warrens in
un-ripped plots showed signs of rabbit activity (Berman 2011). Both studies emphasise that
destroying rabbit warrens by ripping is a very effective way of reducing rabbit numbers and in
many cases can provide an alternative to biological control for managing rabbits on large
properties in the Australian semi-arid and arid zones. Coordinating warren ripping programs
among private and public landholders means that the costs of control – and the benefits – can
be shared, which produces better returns on investment than if control is carried out
independently on a single property.
Action 4.2 Develop programs to help land managers adopt locally appropriate control
methods, including a process to prioritise warren ripping areas in the rangelands.
Rabbit control is a major responsibility for land managers in Australia and usually falls under
the jurisdiction of individual natural resource management (NRM) boards (or similar groups),
which in turn fall under the control of state and territory governments. Land managers can seek
advice on developing a rabbit control strategy for their property, or find out about related plans
and projects in the region, from these sources. There are numerous information guides released
in the past five years provided by state government and NRM boards on rabbit management,
for example, Rabbit control in Queensland: A guide for managers (Queensland DPI 2008).
In addition, national guides have been developed to provide clear procedures. A booklet on
assessing rabbit problems to protect biodiversity was published by the Bureau of Rural
Sciences in 2008. Titled Rabbits: a threat to conservation and natural resource management, it
is designed to help land managers rapidly assess a rabbit problem and take action. The
development of numerous training guides and manuals have been developed by the Invasive
Animals CRC to help choose the best and most cost-effective way to reduce the impact of
rabbits, which include an easy-to-use guide to work out how much rabbits are really costing
and explain different ways to tailor control techniques to the local environment. The Glovebox
Guide for Managing Rabbits (Brown 2012) is part of the PestSmart Toolkit for rabbits and is
designed to provide current information on best practice rabbit management for land managers,
pest animal officers and others involved in the management of rabbits. These information
sources are all readily available online.
30
Action 4.3 Conduct research to maximise the effectiveness of existing biocontrols, and
investigate new biocontrols.
This action has been addressed by the ongoing RHD Boost Project (see Cox et al. 2013 for a
summary of the project), run by the Invasive Animals CRC, which aims to give land managers
a reinvigorated RHD virus for use as a biological tool to manage rabbits and limit the
destructive impact which the pests cause.
RHD appeared to keep rabbit numbers greatly reduced for approximately a decade following its
establishment in the mid nineties. In more recent years, however, there has been evidence that
the wild rabbit population in Australia has increased (Mutze et al. 2010a,b). This has, in part,
been attributed to some populations of rabbits developing genetic resistance to RHD virus. The
most advanced work to date has been carried out by Nystrom et al. (2011) who identified the
population at Hattah-Kulkyne National Park in northwest Victoria as a genetically resistant
population.
The effects of RHD on Australian rabbit population have been variable, with the greatest
impacts in arid and semi-arid inland areas, reducing populations by 80-95% (Mutze et al.
2008). RHD has been least effective in coastal areas, in cool moist areas, and during summer in
areas of summer rainfall (Henzell et al. 2002). This has been attributed to the presence of the
benign endemic RHD virus which was identified and characterised in 2008 (Strive et al. 2009)
and was found to offer some immunity to the introduced RHD virus (Strive et al. 2010). The
combination of growing genetic resistance to RHD virus and the presence of a benign endemic
RHD virus in some populations is thought to have led to a resurgence of rabbit populations in
recent years (Cooke 2012a).
In an effort to prevent a resurgence of rabbit numbers to pre-RHD levels, co-investment in the
RHD Boost project was made through the Caring for our Country program. RHD Boost aims to
identify overseas RHD virus strains that may overcome resistance due to the benign endemic
virus and/or genetic and acquired resistance. It also aims to assess if the new RHD virus strains
that are emerging world-wide are suitable to complement the existing Australian field strains
and improve rabbit biocontrol success. If successful, RHD Boost has a calculated net present
value of over $1.4 billion over 15 years, and will substantially reduce the impacts of rabbits on
Australian plant biodiversity over the 5.3 million square kilometres currently infested (Invasive
Animals CRC 2012c).
A number of key findings and recommendations have come out of the research undertaken as
part of the RHD-Boost project to date (Invasive Animals CRC 2013):

Three different strains of RHD virus have been identified that have the potential to work
against rabbits that have developed resistance to the original virus. Three strains (known as K5,
E9 and Tur09 strains) have demonstrated advantages over the strain currently available in
Australia. These strains appear suitable as biological control agents and warrant further
consideration.

Studies of rabbits with the benign endemic virus antibodies are continuing and may
result in further recommendations for K5 and Tur09 strains.
31

The K5 strain requires a lower dose amount to infect rabbits, and kills adult rabbits
faster than the current strain. K5 has also been shown to better overcome the partial protection
provided by the endemic benign virus.
New information has become available regarding variant strains that have more recently
emerged in China and Western Europe and these strains should be investigated under
Australian conditions before further decisions are made regarding the selection of new strains
for release in Australia. Firstly, a recent strain from China has been reported to infect and kill
rabbits with RHD virus antibodies (Wang et al. 2012). If the ability to overcome antibody
immunity is confirmed then this strain could prove invaluable in an Australian release.
Secondly, a genetic variant different to RHD virus that has been found in France and Spain is
described to cause disease outbreaks in kittens as young as 28 days (Dalton et al. 2012). Based
on these pronounced but complementary differences, these strains should be investigated under
Australian conditions before further decisions are made regarding the selection of new strains
for release in Australia (Invasive Animals CRC 2013).
Release of the new virus
The short-term success of releasing a new strain of RHD virus in specific localities seems
likely if new strains are strategically released (Cox et al. 2013). It will be important to have a
clear understanding of where the new virus might be most useful and the likely economic and
ecological benefits that should follow to establish a release plan.
Release of RHD virus via carrot or oat baits is likely to remain the most cost-efficient
mechanism. This is a much more practical delivery method compared to the alternative of
catching wild rabbits and injecting them with RHD virus prior to release. Experimental releases
of RHD virus on bait have shown that this method is highly effective. In a recent trial in South
Australia, RHD virus spread quickly through a susceptible rabbit population following the
release of RHD virus on bait, even spreading to rabbits that were not directly exposed to the
bait (Mutze et al. 2010). The virus continued to spread over the next 2–6 weeks through nearby
unbaited areas, reaching rabbits up to 4 km away.
RHD virus bait has also been used on Macquarie Island. The release of RHD virus on the island
was designed to reduce rabbit numbers before aerial baiting. It also lowered the risk of
secondary poisoning to non-target wildlife as RHD-killed rabbit carcasses are harmless to other
species (Invasive Animals CRC 2012c).
A freeze-dried stock of RHD virus has been developed (Invasive Animals CRC 2011b) that can
be easily and safely be transported without the need for dry ice. This product overcomes the
need to store at low temperature and can be prepared for field distribution by mixing with
carrots or oats. To date several freeze-drying methods (with different protective elements and
drying conditions) have been evaluated. A pilot batch of freeze-dried RHD virus product has
been incubated at different temperatures to assess stability under real-time and accelerated
conditions. Stability studies have been completed showing that the virus has a shelf life of
greater than 12 months when stored between 2-8°C and remains infective when stored at
32
ambient temperatures (up to 27°C) for 1 month. This product will allow pest managers to 'seed'
rabbit populations with RHD virus much more conveniently than previous methods.
Action 4.4 Continue to promote the adoption of the model codes of practice and standard
operating procedures for effective and humane management of rabbits
Over the last decade, the approach to managing pest animals has changed from a focus on
killing as many pests as possible, to a planned and coordinated response to provide lasting
effects from the pest control. Information on the animal welfare impacts of pest control
methods is required to inform the decisions of operators and policymakers. An Australian
model for assessing the humaneness of vertebrate pest control strategies by ranking relative
welfare impacts of lethal control methods was completed for a range of pest control methods
(Sharp and Saunders 2008). Increasingly, it is argued that no technique used to kill or manage
pest species should cause unnecessary suffering (Marks 2009; Giglotti et al. 2009).
The Australian Animal Welfare Strategy, which focuses attention on key animal welfare issues
and focuses attention on investments to deliver sustainable improvements, was updated in
2010, following an independent review and extensive stakeholder consultation. The strategy’s
vision is that all Australians value animals and are committed to improving their welfare. Its
mission is to deliver sustainable improvements in the welfare of all animals. The strategy
provides a national framework to identify priorities, coordinate stakeholder action and improve
consistency across all animal use sectors. It seeks to build on Australia’s current arrangements,
including state and territory legislation, standards, guidelines, codes of practice, industry
quality assurance programs, education and training, and research and development.
The model codes of practice for the humane control of rabbit were revised in 2012 (Sharp and
Saunders, 2012). Rabbit control techniques have the potential to cause animals to suffer,
therefore to minimise this suffering the most humane techniques must be used, i.e. the one that
causes the least amount of pain and suffering to the target animal and the least amount of harm
or risk to non target animals, people and the environment. The most commonly used rabbit
control techniques are lethal baiting, warren fumigation and destruction, shooting, trapping,
exclusion fencing and biological control. Fertility control through immunocontraception is not
currently a viable broad-scale control option despite considerable research. Sharp and Saunders
(2012) have evaluated the humaneness of each of these techniques; a summary is provided in
Table 2.
While each method has some identified risk of harm (Table 2), the analysis of control methods
identified pressure fumigation of warrens using phosphine, and in particular chloropicrin, as
highly inhumane (Sharp and Saunders 2012). Chloropicrin is known to cause severe sensory
irritation and distress, and chronic debilitation in survivors (Marks 2009). Phosphine
fumigation depresses the central nervous system and respiratory function, and causes inhibition
of vital cell enzymes, bone marrow, organ tissues and brain parenchyma. Concerns about the
humaneness and efficacy of chloropicrin and phosphine as warren fumigants for the control of
rabbits prompted an investigation into carbon monoxide (CO) as an alternative fumigant
(Giglotti et al. 2009, Invasive Animals CRC 2012b).
33
Giglotti et al. (2009) found that carbon monoxide dispersed evenly in the warren, caused no
immediate irritation or distress and produced a gradual stupor before unconsciousness and
death. Concentrations of 6% CO killed rabbits almost three times faster than 5% CO,
suggesting that relatively small increments of concentration and exposure time are crucial in
obtaining a consistently rapid death. A concentration of 6% CO caused death in 8 of 10 rabbits
in a mean of 28.3 minutes; some 2.9 and 8 times faster than chloropicrin and phosphine
respectively. The study demonstrated that CO has potential as a rapid-acting, humane and
effective alternative fumigant for rabbit control. The work has resulted in the development and
pending registration of a carbon monoxide pressure fumigator system in Australia as a
potentially useful future addition to rabbit control tools (Invasive Animals CRC 2012b; see
section 4.3)
There is no perfect technique for rabbit control. In some cases, using the most humane
technique is not efficient (e.g. broad-scale shooting in arid lands is not possible due to the vast
areas). The humaneness of each technique may be dependent on correct deployment (e.g.
sufficient poison in bait, correct machinery for ripping) and overall effectiveness in the given
situation (e.g. cage traps will have little effect in a setting where numbers of rabbits are too
high to remove individually and make a difference to the population). Managers must take the
time to develop the most appropriate pest management plans for their area using the most
appropriate control methods.
34
Table 2 - Assessment of the humaneness and efficacy of rabbit control methods (adapted from Sharp and Saunders 2012)
Control technique
Efficacy
Cost-effectiveness
Target Specificity
Comments
Fertility control
Acceptability of
technique with regard to
humaneness*
Conditionally acceptable
Unknown
Unknown
Depends on agent
used
No products currently registered.
Exclusion fencing
Acceptable
Limited
Expensive
Can be in certain
situations
Ground baiting with 1080
Conditionally acceptable
Effective
Cost-effective
Potential risk of
poisoning nontarget animals
Aerial baiting with 1080
Conditionally acceptable
Effective
Cost-effective
Potential risk of
poisoning nontarget animals
Pindone baiting
Only acceptable when
there is no other
alternative
Inhumane compared to
1080
Effective
Relatively expensive
(compared to 1080)
Pressure fumigation of
warrens using
chloropicrin
Diffusion fumigation of
warrens using phosphine
Not acceptable
Potential risk of
poisoning nontarget animals (esp.
macropods and
other native
species)
Non-target wildlife
using warrens are
vulnerable
Non-target wildlife
using warrens are
vulnerable
Non-target wildlife
using warrens are
vulnerable
Useful where there is high-value crop/pasture (e.g.
market garden/horticultural enterprises) or in
conservation areas.
Expensive, therefore impractical for broad scale
application.
Effective for reducing rabbit populations prior to warren
destruction. 1080 ingestion can also kill non-target
animals including native species, cats, dogs and
livestock. 1080 is toxic to humans; operators need to take
precautions to safeguard against exposure.
Effective for reducing rabbit populations prior to warren
destruction. Useful difficult areas in broad-scale areas.
1080 ingestion can also kill non-target animals including
native species, cats, dogs and livestock. 1080 is toxic to
humans; operators need to take precautions to safeguard
against
Should only be used in areas where it is impractical or
unsuitable to use 1080 e.g. urban/residential and semirural areas.
Warren destruction by
ripping
Conditionally acceptable
when rabbit populations
are low
Conditionally acceptable
when rabbit populations
are low
Variable
effectiveness
Expensive
Effective
Cost-effective
Inhumane and must not be used.
Alternatives are available.
Labour intensive. Warren is not destroyed therefore it
can be easily recolonised. Unsuitable for large areas.
Where warrens are the principal shelter for rabbits,
ripping is the most cost effective and most long-lasting
method of control. Cannot be used in inaccessible, rocky
or environmentally sensitive areas.
Warren destruction using
explosives
Conditionally acceptable
when rabbit populations
are low
Effective
Relatively expensive
(compared to ripping)
Non-target wildlife
using warrens are
vulnerable
Treatment of rabbit
warrens using gas
explosive technology (e.g.
LPG)
Ground shooting
Has not been assessed,
thought to be inhumane
Unknown –
probably not
effective
Unknown
Non-target wildlife
using warrens are
vulnerable
Acceptable
Not effective
Not cost-effective
Target specific
Biological control with
RHD virus
Conditionally acceptable
Variable
No cost
Target specific
Biological control with
myxomatosis
Depends upon strain.
Highly virulent strains
will kill rabbits quickly.
No cost
Target specific
Soft-jawed traps
Conditionally acceptable
Unpredictable
effectiveness.
Has become less
effective over
time
Not effective
Not cost-effective
Risk of catching
non-target animals
Toothed, steel-jaw traps
Not effective
Not costeffective
Risk of catching and causing
severe injury and distress to
non-target animals
36
Provides long term management of rabbit populations.
Requires trained and licensed operators and adherence to
strict OH&S requirements. Effective in inaccessible and
rocky areas.
Labour intensive. Warren is not destroyed therefore it
can be easily recolonised. Unsuitable for large areas.
Shooting may be effective to control small isolated rabbit
populations but is inefficient for general control. It is
time consuming and labour intensive and not suitable in
certain situations (e.g. where dense cover is available,
inaccessible or rough terrain, near human habitation).
Effectiveness depends on habitat. RHD outbreaks should
be followed up with conventional control methods to
achieve more long-term control of rabbit populations.
Bait delivery of the virus is a more humane technique of
producing outbreaks of RHD because it does not require
live capture and handling of rabbits for inoculation.
This is a self-disseminating virus that is already
widespread in the environment. It is not routinely used as
a control technique though natural outbreaks should be
followed up with conventional control methods to
achieve more long-term control of rabbit populations.
Occasionally used in areas with small isolated rabbit
populations but are inefficient for general control.
Summary

The main focus of rabbit control research over the past five years has been increasing the
effectiveness of the biocontrol agent RHD virus through the RHD boost project. This is in
response to the apparent rising genetic resistance of rabbits to the present strain of RHD
virus and its limited effectiveness in temperate regions due to an already present endemic
virus. The project has identified several strains of RHD virus that have the potential to work
against rabbits. In addition, a freeze-dried stock of RHD virus has been developed for easy
deployment.

While the value of biocontrol agents cannot be overstated they have produced an estimated
benefit of $70 billion for agricultural industries over the last 60 years the importance of
integrating several different manual control methods must not be overlooked.

Coordinated warren ripping programs have been shown to provide an effective method for
long-term rabbit control in rangelands.

The model codes of practice for the humane control of rabbits were revised in 2012.

The development of a CO fumigator is an important advancement in the humane control of
rabbits.
Conclusions and recommendations

It will be important to have a clear understanding of where the new strain of RHD virus
might be most useful, and the likely economic and ecological benefits.

Ongoing research into effective manual control methods to complement biological control
is still needed.
Objective 5: Increase awareness of all stakeholders of the objectives and actions of the
TAP, and of the need to control and manage rabbits
Action 5.1 Promote

Broad understanding of the threat to biodiversity posed by rabbits and support for their
control

Support for the actions to be undertaken under this plan

The use of humane and cost effective rabbit control methods

Best-practice effective rabbit control in all tenures, and

Understanding of competition and land degradation by rabbits as a key threatening process
Objective 5 focuses on ensuring that the TAP actions are better communicated to interested
parties by preparing and distributing extension materials. This objective has been partially
fulfilled by the Invasive Animals CRC, although their focus has been predominantly on
solutions for primary industry. Integrated rabbit control has been a major focus for the Invasive
Animals CRC, and the actions under this goal align closely with the rabbit TAP, especially
objective 3 (impact), objective 4 (control) and objective 5 (awareness).
One of the key projects run by the Invasive Animals CRC over the past five years has been
rabbit project management with the aim to provide practical experience in rabbit management
and coordinating research, to inform future strategies to implement best-practice rabbit control.
This project dealt with the growing rabbit problem by establishing demonstration sites to
provide training and advice for dealing with the immediate problem of keeping rabbit numbers
low. This training enabled land managers to gain an understanding of the principles of rabbit
control, evaluate cost-effectiveness, as well as gain practical experience in the use of the
methods available. The project also reviewed social barriers, legislative disincentives or the
lack of skills inhibiting effective rabbit management. A key outcome of the project was the
contributions made to developing the national rabbit management package, relating to the
education and extension goal of end-user capacity building. This included the production of
extension materials designed to enhance skills and knowledge to effectively deliver bestpractice invasive animal management strategies.
The Invasive Animals CRC has developed education material which is available through its
website www.feral.org.au. These PestSmart Toolkits are designed to provide information and
guidance on best-practice invasive animal management to policy makers and land managers.
The toolkits include factsheets on different control methods, guidelines for identifying rabbit
problems and for prioritising control methods, video footage of the warren ripping technique
and case study examples. As mentioned in objective 4, training materials for land managers
with pest management responsibilities have also been developed. The Invasive Animals CRC
has developed a diploma-level training course (delivered through the University of Canberra) in
best practice pest animal management (Invasive Animals CRC 2010) and has also developed
38
materials for primary and secondary school students (called Feral Focus) linked to the national
curriculum.
There are regular media articles on rabbits and the rise in rabbit numbers in the last five years.
Initiatives by the Invasive Animals CRC, such as RabbitScan, are well publicised through the
media and are also increasing awareness of the problem. The RabbitScan project
(www.feralscan.org.au/rabbitscan/default.aspx) encourages members of the public,
schoolchildren and community groups to enter their rabbit sightings onto a Google map so that
experts can gain a clearer picture of Australia's rabbit problem. The feral rabbit map (accessed
10 May 2013) has 4945 locations and will be a valuable resource over time. The RabbitScan
project has confirmed that rabbits are reported as a major issue on the urban fringes of all cities
across southern Australia. Cooke (2012b) suggests this aspect of rabbit control has not been
adequately addressed because of the largely agricultural focus on controlling rabbits. Likewise
it could also be argued that the map reflects the sites of human habitation where land use and
other values prompt reporting. Regardless, it demonstrates that more work is needed to deliver
better rabbit control in urban fringes.
The Invasive Animals CRC has recently developed an easier way for people to access
information such as Rabbit Scan through the new smart phone users app ‘Field Guide to Pest
Animals of Australia’. The app contains detailed species descriptions, photo galleries, maps,
control techniques and quick links to pest control resources for 31 vertebrate pest species in
Australia. PestSmart Toolkits and FeralScan web-mapping audio calls and photos of footprints,
tracks, and droppings are all available through the app. This highly practical tool for use in the
field is a useful resource for farmers, land managers, landcare groups, students, school teachers,
universities, local councils, pest controllers, wildlife enthusiasts, and the general public.
In an effort to coordinate effective rabbit management control, a National Rabbit Management
Facilitator has recently been appointed by the Victorian Government to ensure strategic,
efficient and effective implementation of new and effective rabbit control methodologies. This
role involves the day-to-day coordination of project activities, including liaison with project
stakeholders such as the Invasive Animals CRC, governments and affected industries.
Understanding the economic costs and benefits
Understanding the costs and benefits of rabbit control in an economic sense is not an identified
action under objective five. The environmental benefits of removing rabbits remain unassessed
in monetary terms due to difficulties in quantifying environmental assets and the associated
benefits of rabbit removal. However, substantial work has been done in this area over the last
five years that helps inform stakeholders about the value of rabbit control for the environment.
Cooke et al. (2010) developed an economic decision model exploring the effectiveness of three
methods for controlling rabbits living amongst native vegetation. The model provides a
framework for deciding how limited resources might be used to greatest benefit for protecting
native vegetation and reinforced the need to use integrated rabbit control methods. That is, after
rabbit numbers become due low to myxomatosis and/or RHD, poisoning, warren ripping and
fumigation in sequence during summer and autumn needs to be used. The study also showed
that it pays to invest in the protection of vegetation that is intact and shows a high capacity to
39
regenerate, rather than spending money on badly degraded vegetation. Such information is
useful for making plans and setting priorities for future conservation of biodiversity, especially
where funds are limited. This methodology could apply to other invasive species, provided that
natural assets can be given a justifiable monetary value, control costs and effectiveness can be
determined and the impact of the pests on assets can be modelled as dynamic population
processes. The actual economic benefit that biological control of rabbits has produced has been
estimated to be $70 million for Australian agricultural industries over the last 60 years (Cooke
et al. 2013). While the first released biocontrol, myxoma virus, generated the most returns, this
should not cloud the fact that subsequent investments of this kind can produce valuable
outcomes. The introduction of RHD virus, for example, resulted in an immediate increase in
benefits to Australia’s livestock industries of about $350 million per year, while the research
leading to its introduction cost about $12 million over 8 years.
With current technology, Australia still has a seemingly unavoidable economic loss to rabbits
of about $200 million annually (Gong et al. 2009). This is the estimated cost from rabbits in
difficult to access areas (e.g. creeks and rocky hills) where they can have both a significant cost
on the regeneration of native shrubs and trees and on agriculture.
Summary
Since 2008, education and promotion tools have been developed including mobile phone and
web-based tools, and guides for monitoring and control techniques. There is public interest in
rabbits and the primary industry and biodiversity problems as indicated by media articles and
participation in web-based tools. The development of cost benefit analysis and decision model
techniques are major advances in strategic decision making which will assist land managers to
best allocate limited resources.
Conclusions and recommendations
While information is easily accessible, there are still barriers to uptake of best practice control
methods and ongoing work is needed to ensure that land managers are able to identify rabbit
impact, use cost-effective methods and gain experience in the use of the methods available.
This information needs to be extended to others, such as individual farmers, park rangers and
land-care or NRM groups who require advice about achieving effective rabbit control.
40
CONCLUSIONS
The 2008 rabbit TAP aimed to address ways to abate the threat of rabbit competition and land
degradation. There have been numerous advancements in the past five years and several actions
outlined in the TAP have been achieved. Accumulating information on the impact of wild
rabbits in Australia re-confirms the environmental impact of rabbits. There have also been
significant advances in research into control agents, through the RHD boost project, with
several virus variants identified that have a reasonably good chance of overriding the resistance
now developing in Australian rabbits.
While information on identifying rabbit impact and guidelines for implementing control
programs are now readily accessible, there are still barriers to uptake of best practice control
methods and ongoing work is needed to ensure that land managers are able to identify rabbit
impact, use cost-effective methods and gain experience in the use of the methods available.
More effort is needed to engage farmers and conservation land managers to eliminate rabbits by
manual means, both for the immediate future and to capitalise on RHD boost when the new
virus is in place.
A wider, landscape-scale approach to rabbit control is needed, rather than previous approaches
that are often ad hoc and lack strategic or adaptive management. The recent development of
economic decision models may help to maximise cost–benefit and provide a framework for
rabbit control programs on a regional scale.
It is concluded that the issues raised in the 2008 TAP and its objectives are still valid in 2013
and likely to remain so into the future. Some revision of actions and their level of priority may
be required.
LOOKING FORWARD
This review has concluded that the key threatening process of completion and land degradation
by rabbits has not been abated and that the goals and objectives of the threat abatement plan
have not been met. There is a requirement for the Minister to “decide to have a threat
abatement plan for the process if he or she believes that having and implementing a threat
abatement plan is a feasible, effective and efficient way to abate the process” (EPBC Act
Section 270(a)(2)). This decision must be undertaken every five years. In providing advice to
the Minister regarding this decision there appear to be two options related to the current threat
abatement plan:
1.
Retain the TAP as it stands for a further five years. The current plan has objectives that
are still valid. Some of the actions under the objective have been completed or, as further
knowledge has been gained, and are no longer as relevant to abating the threat.
2.
Revise the threat abatement plan and request the Minister makes the revised version.
This would allow the actions and objectives to be updated.
Recommended updates include:

Change the actions in objective one to bring more focus to regional priority areas. Change
goal from achieving total eradication to maintaining low numbers.

More focus on wider community-based rabbit control programs that involve on ground
control on private and public land.

New action: Implement recently developed economic decision models into regional plans.

New action: Report information on the outcome of projects including ongoing monitoring
as a part of adaptive management.

New action: Include an action to gain information on the impact of rabbit control in
objective three.

New action: Assess the environmental benefits of removing rabbits in monetary terms.

New action: Undertake research into barriers to uptake of best practice control methods.
42
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50
APPENDIX A: AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT FUNDED RESEARCH
Biodiversity Fund
The Biodiversity Fund, under Clean Energy Futures, has funded seven projects (all in 2011/12) totalling $4,659,500 (GST exclusive) that have an element related to
rabbit management and understanding their impacts on biodiversity. A table at Appendix A outlines the projects. The outcomes of these projects and their associated
reports will not be available until later in 2013.
Caring for Country
The Caring for our Country program has provided funding for 98 projects totalling $93,874,892 that are related to rabbit control or have an element
related to rabbits. A complete list is provided in Appendix A. The grants comprise of three different elements.
Community Action Grants
The Caring for Country project has funded 62 Community Action Grants related to rabbit management. These are small grants aimed at helping local
community groups take action to conserve and protect their natural environment. The grants are targeted towards established local community-based
organisations that are successfully delivering projects to support sustainable farming and/or protect and enhance the natural environment.
Base Level Funding
A significant amount of projects funded through the base level funding for NRM groups also involved rabbit management as part of a broader pest
management objective. The exact amount spent on rabbits from within the funding provided is difficult to ascertain.
Open Call Grants
A further 17 projects related to rabbit management were funded as part of the Open Call funding. A significant amount within this funding was directed to
the Invasive Animals CRC’s RHD Boost project.
Biodiversity Fund grants
Applicant Name
Project Title
Project Description
Funding
Length
(years)
UNIVERSITY OF
BALLARAT
Restore habitat, reduce exotic
species impact, maintain carbon
store
Scotia mallee of western NSW has high conservation value due to extensive areas of old growth mallee
and significant rare plant communities. The contiguous properties: Nanya (University of Ballarat), Scotia
(Australian Wildlife Conservancy) and Tarawi Nature Reserve (NSW National Parks and Wildlife
Service), covering 130,000ha, conserve significant fauna including 3 EPBC listed species, 3 plant
communities and 8 mammals, birds and reptiles listed under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation
Act. Nanya is calculated to store c. 2,075,752 t CO2. Project will undertake vegetation restoration and
protection measures including predator control, reduction of grazing pressure through rabbit and feral goat
control and water-point closure. Through analysis of records for EPBC and state listed species, prepare
fauna, fire, vegetation and endangered fauna management plans.
6
353,400
B.M ALCORN & T.A
ALCORN
Restore and improve connectivity
to fragmented remnant and riparian
communities
This project will expand the extent of native habitats by implementing biodiverse plantings to build
landscape resilience and connectivity, revegetating and re-connecting the landscape to an endangered
regional ecosystem, by establishing a rabbit-proof, fenced wildlife and riparian corridor to protect native
plants, birds and animals from non-native threats from pests and weeds. Biodiversity and carbon value
activities will include the establishment of wildlife corridors of community-defining species, providing
habitat for endangered species and building resilience through a better connected landscape. A Property
Management Plan will be developed and implemented to counter the risks of fire and the threat and spread
of invasive species.
5
139,700
DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT
AND NATURAL
RESOURCES
Protecting and buffering a keystone
area for semi-arid rangelands
conservation
This project will increase the integrity of a connected landscape of national conservation significance,
namely one of the largest blocks of continuous mallee vegetation in eastern Australia, the 900,000 hectare
Riverland Biosphere Reserve. In response to favourable climatic conditions, an accelerated program of
goat and rabbit control will reduce the spread of these invasive species by: removing access to water;
targeting localised populations in new habitats; and expanding control to rangeland properties to increase
the buffer of land managed for invasive species. Reduced grazing pressure both within and surrounding
conservation areas will improve vegetation regeneration and land condition, with long-term potential for
carbon sequestration.
3
505,800
CARDINIA
ENVIRONMENT
COALITION INC
Increasing the resilience of
Bandicoot Corner to pest species
incursions
Bandicoot Corner is a small reserve that has been established for the preservation of the southern brown
bandicoot, (Isodon obesulus obesulus). It is a relatively intact area of remnant vegetation with significant
biodiversity within a highly modified rural landscape. Although the reserve is protected by predator fence,
incursions by invasive species such as red fox, feral cat, and European rabbit still occur. Foxes and feral
cats prey on southern brown bandicoots. Rabbits are identified as a threat via habitat degradation. This
project will strengthen the perimeter fence as a barrier to pest incursions, and monitor and remove reduce
1
10,000
52
Total Funding ($)
Applicant Name
Project Title
Project Description
Funding
Length
(years)
Total Funding ($)
pest animal populations within the reserve.
FTLA - Northern
Yarra Landcare
Network
Protecting fire-affected biodiversity
from invasive blackberry in the
Northern Yarra
Invasive blackberry is now thriving in the northern Yarra Ranges region following the Black Saturday
bushfires, benefitting from this major disturbance. The weed now threatens the regenerating native
vegetation by smothering bushland and waterways. It also provides harbour for rabbits and foxes, further
exacerbating the threat to recovering biodiversity. The Northern Yarra Blackberry Action Group (part of
the Northern Yarra Landcare Network) runs a small program to assist landowners with their obligations to
control blackberry on private land. This project will add a biodiversity focus to the existing program to
more effectively address the harmful impacts of invasive blackberry on the region’s biodiversity.
5
230,000
MALLEE
CATCHMENT
MANAGEMENT
AUTHORITY
Connecting parks and private land
on Murray River floodplain
This project will enhance the natural reserve system through the establishment of conservation covenant
and conservation agreements to ensure minimal grazing pressure through the removal of stock from 2000
ha of private farmland land adjacent to a new extension to Murray Sunset National Park. This will be
supported by a coordinated approach of controlling invasive species (rabbits and pigs) across private and
public lands, enhancing existing connectivity, undertaking re-vegetation on floodplains and wetlands, and
controlling recreational pressures on native vegetation. These works will be supported by funds from
Parks Victoria and private land holders, and will complement proposed Sustainable Diversion limit offsets
projects at Wallpolla Is.
6
416,600
PARKS VICTORIA
Restoring and reconnecting
Australia’s threatened woodlands in
Mallee Rangelands
Despite their high environmental values, Victoria's mallee parks and surrounding properties share a
history of degradation from clearing, overgrazing and pest introductions. Park management currently
stalls further degradation, but with additional effort it is possible to reverse the decline and achieve largescale, high carbon content revegetation in this nationally significant region. Mallee rangelands also have
great potential to contribute to connectivity and to enhance biodiversity. Through private and public
partnerships we will re-establish broad-acre biodiverse vegetation via planting and restoration, and protect
this investment and associated high value (eg. RAMSAR) sites from the impacts of rabbits, goats and
other grazing pests.
6
3,004,000
53
Caring for our Country grants
Year
2009
-10
Project
ID
CAG0900053
2009
-10
State
VIC
Region
.
Funding recipient
FARM TREES AND
LAND
ASSOCIATION INC
UPPER OVENS
VALLEY
LANDCARE GROUP
Project title
Improving River
Health and Water
Quality (Upper
Ovens River, NE
Victoria) - Stage 4
CAG0900150
VIC
.
NORTH
WARRANDYTE
OSBORNE
PENINSULALANDC
ARE GROUP INC
Reestablishing links
in habitat corridors
to protect threatened
species and enhance
biodiversity
2009
-10
CAG0900162
VIC
.
NEWSTEAD
LANDCARE GROUP
Riparian Protection
and Restoration in
the Newstead Area
2009
-10
CAG0900172
TAS
.
TAS
CONSERVATION
TRUST INC
Outer Furneaux
Islands Boxthorn
Control Maintenance: the
Key to Longterm
Success
2009
-10
CAG0900200
VIC
.
Hughes Creek
Catchment
Collaborative
OverGrazed
2009
-10
CAG0900226
VIC
.
Mornington Peninsula
And Western Port
Biosphere Reserve
Community
contribution to
Western Port Ramsar
Project description
The iconic Upper Ovens River and its riparian zone has been degraded by widespread infestations of
willow (seeding Grey Sallow and vegetative Crack Willow) and blackberry which are all listed as
Weeds of National Significance. The degradation is occurring through collapsing trees that are
causing issues including bank erosion; seasonal leaf-drop is causing anoxic conditions for
macroinvertebrates and fish; and extensive brambles are providing harbour for rabbits and foxes.
This community-based project aims to clear these noxious weeds and revegetate with indigenous
species, with steering advice from a number of public land management agencies and specialists. To
date, 12 km of the river have been rehabilitated.
Whilst much of the flora on Osborne Peninsula is relatively intact and rich in diversity, key parts are
degraded due to land clearing, past grazing of stock, gully erosion and rabbit and weed invasion. Our
proposal aims to improve biodiversity by reducing the impact of weeds and rabbits, and encouraging
regeneration of indigenous flora, giving priority to closing the remaining gaps in the habitat corridor.
This will support vulnerable and threatened species, and improve water quality in the Yarra River
and Port Phillip. The local community will also be engaged to become better custodians of this
special area.
At present there is severe damage to riparian habitat in the Newstead area due to heavy weed
infestation, in particular bridal creeper, on both public and private land. This weed has invaded and
damaged high quality native vegetation. Rabbit infestation, together with clearing of native
vegetation, and the impacts of mining/dredging along the Loddon River near Newstead has
detrimentally affected water quality, erosion and biodiversity. This project will address these issues
through weed control, rabbit warren destruction and planting of indigenous understorey species. The
project also includes strong local community awareness and participation components.
African boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum), is an aggressive, invasive plant on offshore islands of Bass
Strait. Previous funding has enabled us to remove mature boxthorn from Cat, Storehouse, Chalky,
Little Chalky, Mile, South Pascoe, North Pascoe, Isabella, Sentinel, Rabbit, Wyballena, Roydon and
Goose Islands in the Furneaux group. These islands all host important breeding seabird colonies and
many also support threatened flora species. The treatment of boxthorn is proving effective but
requires regular follow up after the primary treatments. As primary treatment is completed it is
intended to continue follow up control on each of the islands and include neighbouring islands in the
Furneaux Group.
The project will protect biodiversity from degradation by pest animals, in this case rabbits, by ripping
and track rolling of rabbit warrens with an excavator and follow up fumigation if required. The
project will work in partnership with Parks Victoria Good Neighbour Program and Department of
Primary Industries Rural Extension Program to coordinate an intensive rabbit control program
targeting properties adjoining crown bush reserves and private covenants.
This project focuses on the habitat of the Southern Brown Bandicoot in and around the Western Port
Ramsar site and adjacent Nature Conservation Reserves in its effort to raise community awareness
about managing pest species and other threats to critical habitats. Information booklets and
54
Grant
(GST
excl.)
19,940
20,000
9,780
19,727
17,000
19,836
Year
Project
ID
2009
-10
State
Region
Funding recipient
Foundation Ltd
Project title
and endangered icon
Southern Brown
Bandicoot
CAG0900324
WA
.
Lake McDermott
Catchment Group
(INC)
1080 Fox and Rabbit
Baiting in the Shire
of Mt Marshall
2009
-10
CAG0900473
VIC
.
Wises Creek And
Talgarno Landcare
Group
Coping with dry
times
2009
-10
CAG0900500
SA
.
AUSTLAND
MANAGEMENT PTY
LTD
Community
involvement in
rabbit control to
restore native
vegetation
2009
-10
CAG0900505
VIC
.
HINDMARSH
LANDCARE
NETWORK
Werrap Land
Enhancement
2009
-10
CAG0900658
WA
.
Blackwood Basin
Group Incorporated
Controlling feral
vertebrates to protect
biodiversity assets in
the Blackwood
Basin.
Project description
educational material will be produced for website publication and face to face educational activities,
while the project will engage the local community in a series of workshops and educational activities
to improve local understanding of issues such as native vegetation management and the risks and
benefits of fox and rabbit control methods for the broader landscape.
The funding will be used to purchase 1080 baits to bait for foxes and rabbits within the Shire of Mt
Marshall. Local landholders will be able to express their interest to gain baits through this project.
Rabbit and fox populations are an ongoing environmental problem for the Shire of Mt Marshall and
the region as they are causing detrimental impacts to the local sheep and cropping industries as well
as local flora and fauna. Reducing the populations and impact of the fox and rabbit populations will
help of the populations of vulnerable species recovery including local populations of Western Spinytailed Skinks and Malleefowls.
This project will respond to community interest in improving farm sustainability and environmental
health of our farms and district. Field days, farm walks and workshops with invited speakers with
particular knowledge will be held focusing primarily on pasture management to maintain soil cover,
improve persistence of pastures, improve soil health and to avoid soil loss through erosion. Many
farmers in the area are interested in exploring more sustainable ways of farming and examining new
opportunities such as cereal crops for grazing and fodder, better use of water resources, tree planting
and habitat improvement, rabbit control and creek protection.
This project seeks to complement on-going rabbit control and restoration works on Calperum Station.
It will rip rabbit warrens in steep and rocky areas which are currently inaccessible to management by
alternative means, enabling more efficient on-going control of rabbits. The proejct will engage a wide
range of volunteers such as Rotary clubs, students and the local community in revegetating the
disturbed sites to prevent erosion and restore the native vegetation and monitoring the sites to
determine the success of the management measures.
The project is designed to address a range of land management challenges, including pests, erosion
control, saline affected agricultural land and remnant vegetation protection. The proposed site is
located on the eastern side of Lake Hindmarsh and will contribute to landholder and community
capacity to return degraded and unproductive land to a healthy and well managed condition. The site
is severely impacted by high levels of saline groundwater and exposure to wind erosion. Native
vegetation and habitat has been severely compromised and this program will implement a range of
actions aimed at rehabilitation and protection of this fragile environment. The project aims to protect
20ha of remnant vegetation, remove rabbits and weeds from more than 100ha, establish pasture and
saltbush on 5 ha and reduce the impact of wind erosion over the project area. Works will be
completed by experienced volunteers and contractors and the site will be maintained by the
landholder under a project agreement with Hindmarsh Landcare Network.
This project will link with established programs to reduce rabbit and fox numbers. Land managers
within a 30 kilometre buffer area will be engaged in protecting high biodiversity assets and offered
an incentive to help cover the financial costs of baiting, fumigating and ripping burrows. Media
publicity to raise awareness of the damage caused by rabbits, knowledge of control options and
project outcomes will be widespread. Awareness and capacity of land managers to undertake
meaningful pest control will increase through training and technical advice in control methods.
55
Grant
(GST
excl.)
9,091
20,000
15,927
20,000
19,636
Year
2009
-10
Project
ID
CAG0900777
2009
-10
State
VIC
Region
.
Funding recipient
Parklands Albury
Wodonga Limited
Project title
Banishing the
Bunnies and
Building Capacity
CAG0900785
VIC
.
WARBY RANGE
LANDCARE AND
RABBIT CONTROL
GROUP
Continuing Warby
Range
Landcarers/Aborigin
al Community NRM
partnerships
2009
-10
CAG0900936
NSW
.
Citizens Wildlife
Corridors Armidale
Incorporated
Hilltop regeneration
and enhancement at
'Eastlake'
2009
-10
CAG0900940
VIC
.
SUTTON GRANGE
LANDCARE GROUP
INC
2009
-10
Landcare
NSW
.
South Myall Catchment
Landcare Group Inc
The creation of
biodiversity copses
to protect and
support old growth
remnants, deal with
recharge issues and
enhance soil health
Improving
management of
native habitat and
steep, erosion prone
2009
-10
Landcare
NSW
.
Mallee Landcare Group
Warren Destruction
Project description
This project will reduce erosion and sediment flows into the Murray River by tackling rabbits and
remaining rabbit harbouring blackberry bushes on 16 kilometres of degraded crown land water
frontage where restoration and revegetation works are underway. It will also reduce erosion and
sediment flows into the Murray River from the lower Kiewa River by tackling rabbits and priority
revegetation with 1000 seedlings on sections of eroding river bank. The project will build community
capacity to tackle pest animals, increase hands-on community involvement in bushland restoration
works, and address skills shortages in this region for pest animal control work.
This project aims to renovate and restore neglected private land recently acquired by an aboriginal
community organisation to a healthy ecological state in partnership with the Warby Range Landcare
Group. Degradation through recreation vehicle damage, woody weed infestation, loss of understorey
shrubs, grasses and sedges are among high priority environmental riverine and floodplain
management issues in North East Victoria. The current recommend best practice approach is to
remove weeds, fence land to protect from tresspassing vehicles and straying livestock, renovate
landscape to avoid erosion and re-establish selected indigenous plant species with regular
maintenance activity.
This project involves rabbit control measures, fencing of remnant vegetation and revegetation via
direct seeding on the 'Eastlake' property in the New England Tablelands. Fallen timber that is
currently providing habitat for rabbits will be burnt. The site will then be ripped to remove rabbit
warrens. A perimeter fence will be erected to exclude stock and allow direct seeding of shrubs on the
site.
Due to excessive clearing and hard sheep grazing in the past, this property now has a legacy of
denuded hills and degraded soils adding to local recharge/discharge issues. With both metamorphic
and granite soils, rabbits are also an issue. The Sutton Grange Landcare Groups project aims to
establish copses and corridors which will link into old growth remnant on an abutting road reserve.
The copses will extend out along the denuded flanks providing substantial support for existing
vegetation. Fencing will enable the landholders to maintain stock and consider judicious crashgrazing of revegetation zones to manage pasture weeds in about 3-4 years.
Improve remnants and open woodland by linking existing vegetation to tree plantings. Increase
regeneration of natural habitat by reducing the impact of lantana (a Weed of National Significance),
rabbits and excessive grazing pressure. Increase ground cover by revegetation with native and
adapted perennial pasture species and adopting advanced farming cultural practices to reduce
sediment loss
The proposed works will move towards the completion of an extensive ripping campaign within the
Mallee Landcare Group. The project aims to protect biodiversity values in the Mallee Landcare area
from the impact of rabbits. This project will cover approximately 2,500 ha of roadsides across
approximately 400,000 ha within the Mallee Landcare Group area. This proposal will use the
established landholder network of Landcare to suppress rabbit populations that threaten remnant
buloke and mallee woodland communities and adjoining farmland. There are large areas of roadsides
that have had few if any control methods applied to the rabbits in the past five or more years. The
Landcare Coordinator will engage contractors to conduct rabbit warren ripping along approximately
850 km of roadside.
56
Grant
(GST
excl.)
13,803
15,273
5,227
10,982
192,200
152,174
Project
ID
Landcare
State
NSW
Region
.
Funding recipient
Lexton Landcare Group
Project title
Linkages in the
landscape
2009
-10
NRM
NSW
.
Border Rivers-Gwydir
CMA
.
2009
-10
NRM
SA
.
Eyre Peninsula
.
2009
-10
NRM
SA
.
Northern and Yorke
.
2009
-10
NRM
SA
.
South Australian
Murray-Darling Basin
.
Year
2009
-10
Project description
This project will work with 19 landholders to deliver 27 on-ground projects that both directly protect
and provide key landscape vegetation linkages across the upper reaches of the Bet Bet creek
catchment. The project will involve protective fencing, natural regeneration, direct seeding of native
vegetation, rabbit and weed control works.
The Border Rivers Gwydir Catchment Management Authority will deliver integrated projects
delivering on multiple Caring for our Country targets. These projects will be underpinned by
community engagement to support landscape change that adds to the National Reserve System,
increases and improves native habitat and reduces the impact of weeds and rabbits. Additionally
education and awareness workshops will be undertaken to increase the capacity of landholders in the
Ramsar listed Gwydir Wetlands to maintain and restore the ecological values of the area.
Partnerships will continue to be established with Indigenous groups, including the maintenance of the
Aboriginal Reference and Advisory Group and the recording of traditional Indigenous ecological
knowledge for future generations.
The Eyre Peninsula NRM proposal balances sustainable productive farming practices and the
ongoing protection and enhancement of the region's ecological assets. It will deliver significant
landscape scale change through four key program areas, supported by an integrated approach to
Aboriginal and community engagement. Key outcomes of the proposal include a reduction in the risk
and incidence of soil erosion events; reduction of rabbit populations over 400,000ha, with broader
effect over 1.2million hectares, allowing threatened plant species listed in the EPBC Act to
regenerate; addressing invasive species threats impacting on High Conservation-Value Aquatic
Ecosystems. These major achievements will be supported by increases to volunteer involvement in
managing natural resources; improved land-management practices by organisations and individuals;
and the building of stronger partnerships with Aboriginal communities.
The Northern and Yorke NRM Board package balances sustainable productive farming practices and
the ongoing protection and enhancement of the region's ecological assets. It will deliver significant
landscape scale change through several program areas, supported by an integrated approach to
Aboriginal and community engagement. Key outcomes of the proposal include a reduction in the risk
and incidence of soil acidification and soil erosion; control of weeds of national significance and
suppression of rabbit populations over 4,000 hectares, allowing native bushland, including threatened
plant species listed in the EPBC Act, to regenerate. These major achievements will be supported by
increases to volunteer involvement in managing natural resources; improved land-management
practices by organisations and individuals; and the building of stronger partnerships with Aboriginal
communities.
The South Australian Murray-Darling Basin NRM Board package balances sustainable productive
farming practices and ongoing protection and enhancement of regional ecological assets. It will
deliver significant landscape-scale change through eight key program areas, supported by an
integrated approach to Aboriginal and community engagement. Key outcomes of include increasing
priority native habitat managed to reduce critical threats by 18,650 hectares; a reduction in the risk
and incidence of soil erosion events; reduction of rabbit populations over 11,000 hectares, allowing
threatened plant species listed in the EPBC Act to regenerate; addressing invasive species threats
impacting on Ramsar and High Conservation-Value Aquatic Ecosystems. These major achievements
57
Grant
(GST
excl.)
129,720
4,410,803
4,572,900
3,134,000
10,779,456
Project
ID
State
Region
Funding recipient
Project title
2009
-10
NRM
TAS
.
NRM South
.
2009
-10
NRM
VIC
.
Glenelg Hopkins
.
2009
-10
NRM
VIC
.
North Central CMA
.
2009
-10
NRM
VIC
.
Wimmera CMA
.
2009
-10
NRM
WA
.
Northern Agricultural
Catchments Council
.
Year
Project description
will be supported by increases to volunteer involvement in managing natural resources; improved
land-management practices by organisations and individuals; and the building of stronger
partnerships with Aboriginal communities.
NRM South will deliver targeted activities that will achieve significant weed reduction, protection of
Ramsar wetlands and coastal hotspots, reduced impact of rabbits on threatened flora, increase of
native habitat for threatened ecological communities, and improvement in land management
practices, in the priority sub-regions: Upper-Derwent/Highland Lakes; Huon/D'Entrecasteaux; Swan
Apsley/Little Swanport; Tasman Peninsula/Sorell. The investment package also focuses on
community-engagement, communications, knowledge-management and capacity building.
Foundational support provided to regional stakeholders by building and disseminating NRM
knowledge, data and information, raising awareness and building capacity will achieve community &
Aboriginal engagement targets, coastal community engagement and improving land management
practices targets through a comprehensive program designed to invigorate, connect, empower and
support NRM practitioners, groups and individuals.
The Glenelg Hopkins CMA proposal focuses on the Victorian Volcanic Plains, the Glenelg Hopkins
catchment's woodlands and wetlands, the Lower Glenelg HCVAE and coastal areas threatened by
agricultural pressure including soil acidification, habitat loss including threatened EPBC listed
species, weed invasion and rabbits. The proposal also includes the application of indigenous
ecological knowledge combined with proven NRM methods.
The NCCMA will deliver a number of projects that address of suit of targets in the region. The
Northern Plains Conservation project will address critical threats to the native habitat. The
Connecting Country project will increase the area of native habitat and vegetation that is managed to
reduce critical threats to biodiversity including reducing the impact of rabbits and weeds of national
significance in the priority EPBC listed White-Box Yellow-Box community. The Kooyoora
Connections project will increase the area of native habitat and vegetation that is managed to reduce
critical threats to biodiversity and improve condition and connectivity in landscapes with priority
endangered Buloke woodlands of the Riverina and Murray-Darling Depression Bioregions and the
critically endangered White Box-Yellow Box Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland and derived
Native Grassland. The project also includes suppressing rabbit populations to protect the Malleefowl
and Spiny Rice-flower (EPBC).
The Wimmera CMA proposal includes a tender approach (market based instrument) to address
threatened species and threatened ecological communities within the Buloke Woodlands; protection
of existing vegetation by landholders through controlling grazing, planting buffer strips and
improving connectivity; rabbit control at the Ramsar listed Lake Albacutya and inclusion of
indigenous engagement; and reducing the impact of weeds on parts of the Wimmera River, Lake
Hindmarsh, and Lake Albacutya.
The region funding will engage 500 farmers, responsible for around 60% of the region's 5.5m
hectares of agricultural land, to protect 15,000 hectares of priority vulnerable soils. The northern
agricultural region, due to soils and landscape, is especially vulnerable to wind erosion. It has
experienced 5 dry seasons in the last 7 and is likely to be severely impacted under climate change
scenarios. The NACC has a strong history of farmer engagement and its regional proposal is focused
58
Grant
(GST
excl.)
4,423,200
6,962,200
3,484,000
2,304,000
14,189,100
Project
ID
State
Region
Funding recipient
Project title
2009
-10
NRM
WA
.
South West Catchments
Council
.
2009
-10
Open Call
N/A
.
Invasive Animals
Cooperative Research
Centre
RHD Boost: Import
and evaluate new
RHD virus strains to
strengthen rabbit
biocontrol
2009
-10
Open Call
SA
.
Middleback Alliance
(Ecological Horizons
Pty. Ltd.)
2009
-10
Open Call
SA
.
Loxton to
Bookpurnong Local
Action Planning
Committee Inc
The Middleback
Alliance: A
landholder
partnership
achieving landscape
scale restoration in
remote South
Australia
Suppress the threats
posed by invasive
plant and animal
species at a HCVAE
site, Katarapko
Wetland
Year
Project description
on farmer engagement in wind erosion activities. It will also engage with the farmer community,
coastal community organisations and Indigenous community in weed management, coastal
rehabilitation and rabbit control with a focus on threatened species and weeds of national
significance.
The South West Catchments Council is conducting a program of four projects over two years under
Caring for our Country. These four projects individually focus on four of the national priorities
(Coastal, Biodiversity, Sustainable Agriculture and Community) covering 15 targets. With this
investment SWCC will work with land managers and relevant stakeholders in the low rainfall
wheatbelt area of the region to improve land management practices via extension and on-ground
activities to reduce the effects of wind erosion. They will undertake activities in two priority Coastal
Hotspots and Coastal Ramsar Wetlands (The Peel-Harvey and Vasse-Geographe) to reduce threats,
control weeds and other invasive species. SWCC will also address critical threats such as weeds and
rabbits that affect priority biodiversity assets and threatened ecological communities.
RHD Boost aims to identify new Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV) strains with high
lethality to rabbits immune to endemic Australian Rabbit Calicivirus (RCV-A1) and rabbits resistant
to infection with Czech 351 derived RHDV strains. The project is a strategic response to the apparent
rising genetic resistance to the RHDV CZ 351 strain released, and its limited effectiveness in
temperate regions due to the endemic RCV-A1, which protects many rabbits from the RHDV strain.
In Europe, new RHDVa strains are out-competing the original RHDV strains in the field and strongly
suppressing wild rabbit populations in cooler, wetter regions. The project will evaluate new candidate
RHDV strains. This includes screening to determine which candidate RHDV strains overcome
rabbits with immunity to CZ351 derived RHDV and RCV-A1, and research to confirm the
competitive advantage of the new candidate RHDV strains. A decision framework to optimise the
impacts from releasing candidate RHDV strains will also be developed.
The Middleback Alliance is a joint initiative between local landholders, the S.A. Dept for
Environment and Heritage and OneSteel Mining Operation. The aim of the program is to jointly
manage more than 100,000 hectares of semi-arid rangelands in remote Australia to improve land
management, reduce threatening processes such as goats, foxes and rabbits and enhance threatened
species habitat. Activities include community engagement and education, regional threat abatement
programs coordinated by local landholders, fire management, waterhole management, and surveys
and monitoring for threatened species (including nationally threatened chalky wattle (Acacia
cretacea), Malleefowl and Sandhill Dunnart)
This project will address a number of threats currently posed by invasive plant and animal species at
Katarapko Wetland. This wetland has been identified by the Australian Government as a High
Conservation Value Aquatic Ecosystem, and contains three nationally threatened species as listed in
the EPBC Act. The Committee aim to reduce rabbit numbers to less than one per hectare. A two year
pest plant and animal program is planned, with a two-pronged target of 1) eradicating invasive weeds
already present within the wetland; and 2) reducing the threat of invasive weeds entering the wetland
from neighbouring properties and the adjacent townships of Berri and Loxton. Landholder and
community education and involvement forms an integral part of this project, in order to facilitate
improved future land management practices.
59
Grant
(GST
excl.)
10,564,000
1,515,000
247,500
66,450
Year
2009
-10
2009
-10
Project
ID
Open Call
State
VIC
Region
.
Funding recipient
Bass Coast Landcare
Network
Project title
'Penguins to the
Prom'
Open Call
WA
.
Department of
Environment and
Conservation
(Wheatbelt Region)
Reducing impacts of
rabbits to regenerate
threatened flora,
communities and
critical habitat Western Australian
wheatbelt.
CAG1000186
NSW
Border
RiversGwydir
Gwymac Incorporated
Reducing threats to
biodiversity and
controlling invasive
species populations
at SW Inverell in
New South Wales
CAG1000250
SA
South
East
Wetlands & Wildlife
Weed and feral
animal control in
Morella revegetation
area
CAG1000252
VIC
North
Central
Campaspe River and
Land Management
Group Friends of the
Campaspe River
Hand clearing of
Poplar Suckers from
river bed and native
plant revegetation of
steep river bank Campaspe River
Kyneton - Apex
Weir to Racecourse
2010
-11
2010
-11
2010
-11
Project description
'Penguins to the Prom' is an integrated comprehensive rabbit management project designed to
complement and enhance smaller existing control projects. The geographical range of the project is
from Philip Island to Wilsons Promontory, encapsulating over 120 kilometres of Victoria's coastline.
By reducing the impact of rabbits - we aim to reverse the concurrent loss of natural assets caused by
rabbits, minimising detrimental impacts rabbits have on social, economic and agricultural production.
Our project draws on existing expertise and on-going practices - but will be enhanced by
complementary resources, leading to more comprehensive works over a wider geographical area,
lessening the influence of re-colonising rabbits into previously well managed areas.
This project will reduce rabbit populations to levels that allow the regeneration of critical habitat for
threatened flora and communities. However the removal of rabbits alone will not necessarily promote
recruitment and regeneration without a more integrated and holistic approach to management.
Therefore, the project will also integrate other management activities, particularly weed control and
the deliberate introduction of disturbance such as fire, to provide the environmental conditions
necessary for regeneration and recruitment. The project will require the cooperation and involvement
of various land managers, volunteers and agency staff to ensure the most cost effective rabbit control
in critical habitat of threatened flora and communities.
This project will reduce rabbit infestation and the prevalence of the invasive species African
lovegrass in the South West Inverell catchment. This noxious weed threatens to suffocate native
grass species, reduce biodiversity and create a monoculture. The project will establish five trial sites
to demonstrate techniques for African lovegrass control, including a control site to monitor the
impact of the activities. A field day, involving a range of stakeholders, will be held to share results
and improve landholder knowledge. The project will also involve a rabbit baiting program which will
allow a coordinated strategic approach to controlling this pest species. A public meeting will be held
to showcase rabbit-baiting alternatives which should result in a marked decrease in the visible
damage caused by rabbits in the catchment.
Since 2008, 720 ha of land in Morella, Salt Creek, South Australia has been revegetated. It is now
necessary to control weeds (particularly Boxthorn and horehound) and rabbits and hares while the
native plants become established. As the trees and shrubs grow they will out-compete the weeds and
create a habitat that is less favourable to rabbits and hares. To control weed and animal pests in the
interim, the Wetlands and Wildlife community group will poison herbaceous weeds, mechanically
remove Boxthorns, destroy rabbit warrens and poison and shoot rabbits and hares. As the native
revegetation becomes established, its survival and growth as well as pest burden will be monitored
and follow-up control measures will be taken as appropriate.
Building on a seven year community project that has seen four kilometres of the Campaspe River
returned to environmental health from previous use as a town rubbish tip, the Friends of the
Campaspe River will clear and revegetate upstream areas of the river bank where suckers of elm,
poplar and willow choke the river banks. This weed infested environment provides a refuge for feral
animals such as foxes and rabbits. Working closely with the North Central Catchment Management
Authority and the Macedon Ranges Shire Council, a qualified contractor will spray weeds, volunteers
will cut down dead weeds for mulch, and suitable native species will be planted out on the cleared
riverbanks. It is anticipated that the project will greatly enhance river flows and lead to the return of
60
Grant
(GST
excl.)
93,600
993,000
13,360
12,050
19,500
Year
Project
ID
State
Region
Funding recipient
Project title
CAG1000360
NSW
Sydney
Metro
Department of
Environment Climate
Change and Water
Caring for Kamay the rehabilitation,
restoration and
monitoring of
Kurnell Dune Forest
CAG1000378
VIC
Corangam
ite
Ballarat Environment
Network Inc.
CAG1000563
VIC
North
Central
Newstead Landcare
Group
Controlling woody
weeds within the
Victorian Volcanic
Plain using
indigenous plant
species, rabbit
control and fencing Stage two
Riparian protection
and restoration in the
Newstead areaStage 2
CAG1000642
VIC
Mallee
Yelta Landcare Group
Inc.
Control of rabbits in
the Yelta Landcare
Area
CAG1000861
VIC
North
Central
BlampiedKooroocheang Land
Care Group
South Central Cairn
Curran Water
Conservation Project
2010
-11
2010
-11
2010
-11
2010
-11
2010
-11
Project description
native flora and fauna to the area including black swans and platypus.
The project will focus on the endangered ecological communities of Kurnell Dune Forest within
Kamay Botany Bay National Park. It will reduce the impact of invasive weeds including lantana,
bitou bush and asparagus fern and pests such as rabbits and rusa deer through targeted regeneration
and restoration activities. Fenced monitoring exclusion plots will be established to record and
monitor the recovery of the forest and the grazing pressure from feral pests. Work will focus on
bringing the community together to tackle weeds at key sites, with a focus on seed collection,
propagation and planting on the Kurnell Dune Forest. Community members will be trained in feral
weed and animal control, fencing techniques, and monitoring procedures for recording habitat
recovery. On project completion fencing will be maintained by staff working at Kamay Botany Bay
National Park.
This project will focus on controlling woody weeds on public reserves that have been specifically
identified by the Victorian State government and relevant experts as having important biodiversity
values. Activities include weed control, revegetation using indigenous plant species, rabbit control
and fencing to protect vegetation, and ecological burning. Through the work of skilled personnel,
contractors, volunteers and the support of the Department of Sustainability and Environment, all
activities undertaken will promote the restoration of ecological vegetation applicable to each reserve.
The project will protect and restore severe damage to riparian habitat in the Newstead area caused by
heavy weed infestation, rabbits, clearing of native vegetation, and mining and dredging along the
Loddon River which cause erosion and degrade water quality and biodiversity. Contractors will treat
bridal creeper with herbicides and remove cape broom, and volunteers will monitor and control
smaller outbreaks. Loddon River works will include rabbit control through fumigation and warren
obstruction. Revegetation activities include planting of an indigenous species understorey alongside
the Loddon River. Newstead Landcare will monitor and control bridal creeper annually, monitor
native vegetation and rabbit populations, and ensure that at least 80 per cent of native plantings
survive for two years. Follow-up bird surveys will be undertaken to enable evaluation of desired
increase in diversity. The project will ensure increased community awareness of and involvement in
biodiversity conservation. Newstead Landcare will continue community engagement following
project completion.
This project will target rabbits in the Wargan-Mallee bushland area in an effort to eradicate them to
allow revegetation of existing trees and shrubs and to protect and restore biodiversity. Volunteers
will locate and map warren sites. Contracted labour will be used to undertake the eradication work
and landholders will be invited to assist with monitoring for rabbit activity after the treatment. Yelta
Landcare Group will continue to monitor the treated site for signs of renewed rabbit activity after the
completion of the project.
The project involves a series of educational and community awareness activities to address the threat
posed to the local seed growing industry by invasive weeds, which could pollute crops and destroy
income. The project will address the need to control invasive pests and noxious weeds in the area.
61
Grant
(GST
excl.)
9,000
20,000
14,700
12,900
20,000
Year
Project
ID
State
Region
Funding recipient
Project title
(STAGE TWO)
CAG1000881
VIC
Wimmera
Project Platypus
Association Inc
Stream bank
protection in the
steep hills of the
upper Wimmera
Catchment
CAG1000894
SA
Northern
and Yorke
Caltowie Corridors of
Green
Protecting and
enhancing remnant
vegetation for
declining woodland
bird habitat
CAG1000921
NSW
Hawkesbu
ry-Nepean
The Trustee for
Pittwater
Environmental Trust
Stage two: Avalon
Golf Course heath
and woodland
restoration
CAG1001026
NSW
Murrumbi
dgee
Royalla Landcare
Incorporated
Royalla Landcare
rabbit control
program -
2010
-11
2010
-11
2010
-11
2010
-11
Project description
Pest animals such as foxes and rabbits find harbour in these weeds. A demonstration day will show
correct procedures in ripping warrens, spraying weeds, correct handling of chemicals and protection
of operators. Areas to be treated will be mapped. Regenerated areas will be fenced and a co-ordinated
fox and rabbit eradication program will be undertaken. Farm walks will be organised on selected
properties to demonstrate the benefits of efficient programs. Community groups will meet to publish
newsletters and press releases and there is an ongoing commitment from participants to continue the
program.
This project will see the exclusion of stock and revegetation of strategically targeted eroding
waterways of the upper Wimmera Catchment. Plans are also to be put in place with landholders who
manage their catchments to reduce over-grazing. In cooperation with landholders weed control will
be undertaken and any rabbit warrens will be ripped. A buffer will be established for the length of the
waterway and revegetated with indigenous species. Fencing will be constructed to ensure stock is
excluded. Agreements will be entered into with landholders to ensure that fencing is maintained and
that the adjoining paddocks which form the catchment are managed in a way that will reduce fast
run-off. A media release will be sent out informing of project results.
The project will fence four critical sites in the Caltowie region to add to the extensive areas already
protected over the last 14 years. The numbers of woodland birds such as redcapped robins, diamond
fire tailed finches, variegated wrens and white winged choughs are declining in this region due to a
lack of critical habitat, nesting sites and understorey vegetation. There is a limited understanding of
the need for complex mosaics of vegetation and many sites retain only the over-storey and no
regeneration. Education is needed to ensure the recovery of plant and bird communities. These sites
include woodlands of peppermint box, black oak, native pine and triodia grasslands. Buffers next to
remaining woodlands will also be revegetated. The project will construct bird and possum boxes with
the involvement of local schools and control rabbits and weeds at all sites. A workshop will be
conducted for landholders on ways to enhance bird habitats, create vegetation mosaics and conserve
biodiversity.
The Pittwater Environmental Trust will work with Pittwater Council, Avalon Public School and the
community to consolidate and extend previous weed control and regeneration works within the
coastal clay heath and woodland. It will also target the endangered ecological community of
Themeda grassland occuring on the Avalon golf course. This project will protect locally significant
species including black wattle, mint bush and swamp she-oak, and will enhance fauna habitat within
an important wildlife corridor. Using photos and data collection, participants will document the bush
regeneration including creating an active flora and fauna species list. After weed and rabbit control
the Trust will hold a planting day involving Avalon Public School children and the community. The
anticipated outcomes of the project include a remnant bushland free of weeds including the weeds of
national significance such as lantana, improved native fauna habitat, increased knowledge of best
practice weed control in the Pittwater environment, and raised community awareness of the need to
care for the restored sites.
A serious rabbit problem has been identified in peri-urban Royalla. The project will increase
community awareness of the impact of rabbits and provide training in techniques to control
outbreaks. This will reduce the rabbit population on 15 to 25 properties and improve habitat for flora
62
Grant
(GST
excl.)
19,950
18,850
20,000
6,310
Year
Project
ID
State
Region
Funding recipient
Project title
Establishing
biodiversity
corridors by fencing
and planting
tubestock
CAG1001029
VIC
North
Central
Mount Alexander Shire
Council
Happy Valley
restoration stage six
- Spraying and
ripping of weeds for
revegetation works
CAG1001053
NSW
HunterCentral
Rivers
Great Lakes Council
Pest species control
in high conservation
value riverine forest
- Rabbit and weed
control
CAG1001059
SA
South
Australian
Murray
Darling
Basin
Mannum Aboriginal
Community Assn Inc
Mitigating the
impact of wind
erosion on culturally
and environmentally
significant sand
dunes in the Murray
Mallee
CAG1001097
VIC
Goulburn
Broken
Warby Range Landcare
and Rabbit Control
Group
Increasing habitat for
endangered species
of regent honeyeater
and grey crowned
2010
-11
2010
-11
2010
-11
2010
-11
Project description
and fauna including small purple pea, pink-tailed worm-lizard, hooded robin, diamond firetail, white
Box, yellow Box, Blakely's red gum and Tablelands Frost Hollow grassy woodlands. Workshops on
appropriate baiting techniques and a control program will be run annually with the aim of increasing
the participation of landholders. The project will be promoted through newsletters, partner groups’
websites, community notice boards and word of mouth. A demonstration field day will be held on at
least one of the participating properties. This project will increase awareness and engage the
participation of the Landcare group and community members in the control of rabbits.
The project will continue restoration work in Happy Valley on two creeks and associated riparian
areas running into the Loddon (a stressed river) and bordering the National Heritage Park. Over eight
years the Landcare group have been ridding the area of gorse, blackberry, hawthorn, spiny rush, farm
grasses and rabbits and improving water quality. Work will involve seed collection, weed spraying,
site preparation and planting for National Tree Day. Outcomes will include identification and
protection of indigenous plants currently struggling in a grassland area, further indigenous planting
around recently created waterholes and reduction of residual woody weeds. The project will also
initiate community monitoring along the Happy Valley walking track using the Timelines approach
of Alan Reid OAM. Community monitoring information will be linked with Connecting Country and
eventually possibly the new Atlas of Living Australia.
Professional land management advisors will be used to guide environmentally sensitive rabbit and
hare control measures. The subject land is a very high conservation value riverine forest. The species
list of the forest has over 180 vascular plants as well as wedge tail eagles, water dragons, lace
monitors and eastern grey kangaroos. There is also evidence of koalas. There are two major threats to
this ecosystem; invasive weeds, especially lantana and giant Parramatta grass and rabbits. Benign
trapping with potentially renewed introduction of calici virus will be used against the rabbits. This
program will virtually eliminate lantana and giant parramatta grass over three years with a
60 per cent reduction in the first year, 30 per cent in the second and 10 per cent in the third. Both
weed species are at an early stage of invasion when intervention is particularly effective. Association
members and volunteers will be trained in pest control, and will develop operating manuals to inform
future pest control activities.
Wind erosion is a serious land management problem in the Murray Mallee where light sandy soils
have been cleared and grazed upon for agriculture. The loss of topsoil and the movement of sand
have impacted farmland, including soil degradation and crop damage. Wind erosion also has severe
impacts on dune biodiversity hotspots and Aboriginal cultural heritage sites. The Mannum
Aboriginal Community Association will protect and restore 100 ha of remnant sandhill vegetation
and Aboriginal cultural sites by erecting fencing to exclude stock, and will re-establish native
vegetation in 10 ha of a key feeding corridor of the nationally vulnerable regent parrot. Feral rabbits
will also be controlled. The project will engage both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, who
will acquire new skills in land management as a result of participating in the project.
This project will link two existing box and ironbark forests, approximately four kilometres apart, by
creating a corridor through productive private farmlands. This will allow cross migration of
indigenous avian and mammal species and will enhance the biodiversity of private farm land and the
quality of water leaving the catchment so that is safe for drinking. Fences will be erected to exclude
63
Grant
(GST
excl.)
9,350
6,500
19,265
20,000
Year
Project
ID
State
Region
Funding recipient
Project title
babbler - providing
linkages between
remnant Box and
ironbark woodlands
Erosion control by
improving perennial
grass species ground
cover in the
Gilgunnia Landcare
area
CAG1001145
NSW
Lachlan
Gilgunnia Landcare
Incorporated
CAG1001148
QLD
Border
Rivers
MaranoaBalonne
Granite Borders
Landcare Committee
Incorporated
Greening the Granite
Belt - Revegetation
in the Stanthorpe
Area
CAG1001189
TAS
South
Timber Communities
Australia Ltd
Reducing the impact
of invasive species
on Bruny Island
CAG1001321
NSW
Southern
Rivers
Craigie Landcare
Group
Regeneration of
Manna Gum in the
Craigie district,
Southern Monaro
2010
-11
2010
-11
2010
-11
2010
-11
Project description
livestock and intrusive feral species. The project will involve spraying and deep ripping of the site.
Indigenous box and ironbark, and understorey seedlings, guards and stakes will be purchased and
planted. Ongoing site maintenance will be undertaken and education material will be provided.
Gilgunnia Landcare consists of 12 mainly pastoral properties with some winter cereal cropping.
These properties cover large catchments experiencing significant water flow from severe summer
storms. After 10 years of drought, the ground cover consists only of annual species. This has resulted
in soil erosion and damaged roads and fences. Rabbits, feral goats and invasive species especially
Cypress pine also affect the perennial ground cover. This project will establish four sites addressing
invasive species control and demonstrating water spreading techniques to slow and spread water flow
using contour and spread banks. The project will demonstrate sustainable farming practices that can
be implemented at a later stage. Improved management of water flow and reduced erosion will
increase biodiversity by encouraging perennial species and ground cover. Maintenance will be
undertaken for rabbit burrow ripping, invasive species control and bank repairs.
This project will improve biodiversity and connectivity between scattered areas of native vegetation
and habitat for woodland birds in the extensively cleared landscape of the Granite Belt district. The
project will also improve farm sustainability by providing shade and shelter for livestock and
pastures. This will reduce soil loss, wind erosion, and create buffer strips to slow surface water flow
and reduce water erosion. Project activities include planting more than 5000 native trees and shrubs
across five hectares in spring 2011. The seedlings will be protected from livestock by approximately
4.5 kilometres of fencing constructed by participating landholders and a contract planter will
undertake larger scale plantings. Planted areas will connect areas of remnant native vegetation
containing endangered ecological communities such as yellow box and Blakely's red gum
woodlands. Project works will be maintained by landholders through ongoing weed and pest animal
(especially rabbits) control, maintenance of fencing and watering of seedlings.
This project will involve community action to reduce weeds of national significance, particularly
gorse, and control the rabbit population on Bruny Island, Tasmania. The Bruny Island weed strategy
identifies 20 declared weeds, four of which are weeds of national significance. This project will
eradicate or significantly reduce gorse (the most threatening weed) by both mechanical 'grubbing out'
and targeted burning or chemical control to prevent regrowth. All activities will be in accordance
with the weed strategy and supervised by state and local government experts. Community volunteers
will undertake an integrated approach to weed eradication through onground works and monitoring.
The project will also address the environmental harm to the island of the feral rabbit population and
aims to reduce rabbits by 50 per cent in problem areas identified by landowners.
There are few remnants of manna gum in the Southern Monaro, and with no regeneration, the species
may disappear from this area. Excluding grazing will not secure regeneration due to rabbit and native
animal predation. The project will re-establish manna gum using natural seedfall and planting, and
protect these sites with rabbit-proof fencing. The Craigie Landcare Group will prepare the seed bed
within range of remnant trees, and will provide follow-up planting with local seed stock.
Participating landholders will be responsible for fence maintenance and pest and weed control during
and after the project. The establishment and survival of manna gum in harsh conditions will be
64
Grant
(GST
excl.)
20,000
20,000
17,400
6,310
Year
Project
ID
State
Region
Funding recipient
Project title
CAG1001358
WA
South
West
Shire of West Arthur
Protection and
enhancement of the
Dardadine Block for
the preservation of
rare native flora and
fauna
CAG1001397
VIC
Corangam
ite
VFF Farm Tree and
Landcare Association
Incorporated
Hovells Creek
restoration projectan intergrated
approach to rabbit
and weed control to
enable the
restoration of native
habitat
CAG1001401
VIC
North
East
Wandiligong
Preservation Society
Incorporated
The Wandiligong
Community's
Determination to
Restore Biodiversity
to Significantly
Degraded Public
Land
CAG1001405
VIC
North
Central
Axe Creek Landcare
Group
Stock exclusion
fencing in the
riparian zone of Axe
Creek to improve
and protect
biodiversity values
and connectivity to
2010
-11
2010
-11
2010
-11
2010
-11
Project description
observed and the results will be a valuable reference for landholders in learning more about methods
of tree regeneration. This site will be used as a demonstration site to educate landholders and forms
part of the group's Landcare program of catchment improvement on production sites.
The Dardadine Block in the Shire of West Arthur is being encroached upon by winter and summer
weeds, preventing endemic species including rare and endangered flora from regenerating. In
addition, predation and environmental damage are being caused by feral animals such as foxes and
rabbits. The Land for Wildlife Site 8 group will implement an environmental management plan in
conjunction with expert advisors, community volunteers and local schools to control weeds,
encourage regeneration of native species, control feral animals, survey nesting sites and collect seeds
for propagation and replanting. The outcome from these activities will enable native vegetation to
outcompete and suppress weeds, and will reduce erosion. Local students and community volunteers
will learn skills in seed collection and propagation as well as constructing native fauna nesting sites.
Ongoing maintenance of the area will be continued by landholders and community volunteers.
This project will restore an eight kilometre stretch of the Hovell Creek riparian zone, increase
biodiversity and create a habitat corridor linking to the You Yangs Regional Park. This will be
achieved through an integrated approach to the elimination of invasive animal species such as rabbits
and foxes, and the removal of noxious weeds, including weeds of national significance such as
boneseed, bridal creeper and serrated tussock. These non-native species erode river banks (causing
downstream siltation and water quality problems) and destroy the native habitat of indigenous
wildlife. A qualified contractor will be engaged to undertake a program of warren fumigation and
poison baiting. Volunteers and contractors will remove invasive vegetation or treat it with herbicides.
After the control programs are complete, native grasses and trees will be planted to restore the native
habitat. Land managers and the Corio Landcare Group will maintain the area.
This project aims to enhance biodiversity and improve degraded public land, accessibility, public
education and community safety in Wandiligong. Invasive plants within the project area include
blackberries, pussy willows, hawthorn, caper spurge, St Johns wort, easter oil plants and robinia.
These have created an impenetrable barrier for humans and also provide safety and habitat for feral
animals such as cats, foxes and rabbits. The area presently is a bushfire hazard. These weeds will be
removed by excavator, chainsaw, grubbing and poisoning. Once weeds have been removed planting
of species indigenous to the area will occur which will create wildlife corridors and significantly
enhance biodiversity. Fauna control will largely be based on habitat removal, involving the
destruction of rabbit warrens and fox lairs. Vegetative cover will also be removed. Erosion
restoration will be conducted by a contractor, which will include earth works for bank stabilisation.
Community members will assist with voluntary labour.
This project will establish a ‘biolink’ between Pilchers Bridge Natural Conservation Reserve and
Mount Alexander State Park to improve connectivity in the local area. The works connect with
approximately 50 ha of revegetation and pest weed control works undertaken by local Landcare
groups over the past decade. Fencing will be erected around a spring fed headwater tributary of Axe
Creek to exclude stock. Revegetation, where appropriate, will be established along the riparian zone.
Seeds will be sourced locally to ensure plants used for revegetation are indigenous to the area. A
Green Corps team will provide the labour component, erecting the fence and completing revegetation
65
Grant
(GST
excl.)
10,699
18,200
13,075
11,700
Year
2010
-11
2010
-11
2010
-11
2010
-11
2010
-11
2010
-11
Project
ID
State
Region
Funding recipient
CAG1001410
SA
Adelaide
and
Mount
Lofty
Ranges
Carrickalinga Rate
Payers Association
Incorporated
NRM
QLD
.
NRM
SA
.
Burnett Mary Regional
Group
Alinytjara Wilurara
Natural Resources
Management Board
NRM
TAS
.
NRM
VIC
NRM
VIC
Project description
in winter. Weed control will be provided by the landholders and rabbit control will be ongoing.
.
Includes rabbit, feral pig and wild dog control.
The focus of this project will be to restore local native vegetation in the Carrickalinga North Reserve.
Environmental weeds have been identified as the biggest threat to the reserve and will be controlled
at the start of the project. Rabbits will be controlled prior to revegetation to improve success and
allow for natural regeneration. A contractor will be employed for this weed and rabbit control.
Revegetation will be undertaken by the community group to increase biodiversity and wildlife
habitat. The community group will plant local native seedlings in the Carrickalinga North Reserve
after initial weed and rabbit control. These seedlings will be grown by a nursery using locally
sourced seed. Follow up maintenance will be undertaken by the community group and the contractor
will undertake follow up weed control after revegetation to ensure long-term success at the site.
19,700
4,056,000
5,253,000
.
Threats to nationally-listed plant species will be mitigated through targeted rabbit control
NRM South (Tas.)
.
Reduced impact of rabbits on threatened flora
.
Mallee CMA
.
.
Wimmera CMA
.
Towra Point and
Buffer Area
Restoration - Saving
Sydney's icon
wetland
Other activities include reducing the impact of rabbits
protecting the ecological character of the Ramsar-listed Lake Albacutya wetland through rabbit
control
2,948,800
3,003,231
2010
-11
OC1100180
2010
-11
OC1100368
CAG69408336
2011
-12
Project title
work undertaken by
local Landcare
groups
Carrickalinga North
Bay Reserve Project
Grant
(GST
excl.)
NSW
NSW
VIC
.
.
Corangam
ite
Sydney Metropolitan
CMA
Department of
Environment, Climate
Change and Water
Surf Coast and Inland
Plains Network
6,912,000
287,000
Native vegetation at Towra Point wetland and buffer areas at Kurnell are subject to degradation due
to the impacts of WoNS and rabbit infestation. The project addresses invasion by WoNS and rabbit
infestation by employing several established methods of weed and rabbit control through community
volunteer involvement and an Indigenous youth employment program.
171,000
Willandra Lakes
World Heritage Area
Bush to Beach
Biolink along
Thompson Creek
This project aims to unite landholders and members of the Two Traditional Tribal Groups in action
against rabbits in the Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage Area.
The project will create linkages from the bush to beach by rehabilitating three highly degraded
sections of Thompson Creek. Thompson Creek stretches 20km, beginning in the upper reaches of
Gherang, receiving overflows of Lake Modewarre then into the Bass Strait at Breamlea. Thompson
Creek is home to the Yarra pigmy perch (nationally listed as vulnerable species under the
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) population. Thompson Creek also
lies within the natural temperate grasslands of the Victorian Volcanic Plains, classified as critically
endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Constant threats
include rabbits, Weeds of National Significance such as gorse and serrated tussock, erosion, nearby
development of Armstrong Creek and ever-growing growth corridor of Torquay.
66
20,000
Year
Project
ID
CAG70924593
State
VIC
Region
Corangam
ite
Funding recipient
VFF Farm Tree &
Landcare Association
Inc
Project title
Weering Eurack
biodiversity
enhancement project
2011
-12
CAG715118147
VIC
North
Central
Newstead Landcare
Group Inc.
2011
-12
CAG719441294
VIC
North
East
VFF Farm Tree &
Landcare Association
Inc
Riparian Protection
and Restoration in
the Newstead Area
Stage 3
Improving River
Health and Water
Quality Stage 5
2011
-12
CAG719721316
SA
2011
-12
2011
-12
2011
-12
CAG720456403
CAG721951-
Adelaide
and
Mount
Lofty
Ranges
Scientific Expedition
Group inc
Improving Heritage
Area bushland with
wildlife corridors
and pest control
VIC
Port
Phillip
and
Western
Port
VFF Farm Tree &
Landcare Association
Inc
Macclesfield Rabbit
Control Program
Stage 3
VIC
East
Gippsland
Nicholson River
Landcare Group
Revegetation
Protection by
Project description
This project involves the establishment of biodiversity corridors using indigenous trees and shrubs,
along with strategic pest plant and animal works to remove boxthorn rabbit harbour in the Weering
Eurack Landcare Group area. An increase in native vegetation will enhance biodiversity and increase
the extent and connectivity of native habitat. Rabbit harbour removal works will reduce the impacts
of rabbits and invasive weeds on native vegetation including on the margins of western district lakes
in the Weering Eurack area. Landholders will prepare sites, erect protective fencing and plant trees.
Landholders and contractors will remove large boxthorn rabbit harbour with machinery and apply
chemical to smaller infestations.
Riparian areas throughout the Newstead area have been severely degraded by weed infestations
(especially bridal creeper), rabbits, clearing of native vegetation and the impacts of farming, mining
and dredging. These impacts adversely affect biodiversity, water quality and erosion. This project
continues the work funded by CAG09-00162 and CAG10-00563 through weed control (especially
bridal creeper), rabbit management, understorey restoration and community engagement. The floods
of 2010-11 removed much of the cape broom infesting the river sides, creating a great opportunity to
replace this with native understorey and suppress the return of weed species.
The iconic Upper Ovens River and its riparian zone has been degraded by widespread infestations of
willow (seeding pussy willow and vegetative crack willow) and blackberry - all Weeds of National
Significance (WONS). Collapsing trees are causing braiding of the river stem and bank erosion,
seasonal leaf-drop is causing anoxic conditions for macro invertebrates and fish, and extensive
brambles are providing harbour for rabbits and foxes. A six-year multi-staged community-based
project to clear WONS and re-vegetate with indigenous species is being led by our Landcare Group,
with steering advice from public land management agencies and specialists. This funding would
support joining two previous project areas creating over 20km of repaired riparian land.
Fencing provides wildlife corridors for a roadside bandicoot colony to access the main scrub area.
Local native plant species will be used. These corridors also provide windbreaks for the stock. One
section of grazed ridge top will have stock excluded by fencing. The eucalypt overstory and native
grasses will be supplemented by local understory species. This corridor connects our main scrub area
with adjacent conservation park. Volunteers will do the planting. Poplars, planted for erosion control,
now invading the heritage area, will be removed and replaced with suitable local native species
without allowing erosion to recur. Experts in rabbit warren identification and destruction will be
contracted. A workshop will be run for local farmers.
Rabbits are thriving in Macclesfield leading to increased spread of weeds, degradation of native
habitat, soil erosion and additional siltation of creeks. In stage one of our Rabbit Control Program, 61
properties signed up. Stage two (with other funds) encompasses a demonstration field day, formation
of Rabbit Action Group number one (RAG #1) and some initial control works. This project (stage
three) will enable the on-ground works for RAG #1 to be extended. It will also fund control works
for two more RAGs in areas where clusters of interested neighbours were identified in stage one. All
the sites are close to Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve, home to the helmeted honeyeater and
leadbeater’s possum (both endangered species and Victorian State emblems).
Young plantings in revegetation projects are under threat by local rabbit populations. The aim of this
project is to reduce rabbit numbers and to enlist community support to sustain a continuing program
67
Grant
(GST
excl.)
17,250
12,280
19,990
12,870
8,600
16,600
Year
Project
ID
515
CAG726496654
State
Region
Funding recipient
NSW
Murrumbi
dgee
Molonglo Catchment
Group Incorporated
VIC
Glenelg
Hopkins
Ballarat Environment
Network Inc
Project title
Reduction of Pest
Animals
Rabbit Control in the
Molonglo Catchment
2011
-12
2011
-12
2011
-12
2011
-12
2011
-12
CAG727870825
OC1200244
OC1200296
OC1200403
2011
-12
OC1200448
2011
-12
OC1200660
SA
VIC
NSW
VIC
VIC
.
.
.
.
.
ROYAL
ZOOLOGICAL
SOCIETY OF SOUTH
AUSTRALIA INC
VFF FARM TREE
AND LANDCARE
ASSOCIATION
INCORPOR ATED
NEW ENGLAND
NORTH WEST
LANDCARE
NETWORK CHAIRS
INC
PROJECT PLATYPUS
ASSOCIATION INC
THE TRUSTEE FOR
TRUST FOR
NATURE
BEN Biodiversity
Reserves
Enhancement - Stage
2
Increasing
biodiversity and
habitat health
through vertebrate
pest removal
Mt William
Biodiversity
Corridor
Establishment
Project
Pest Animal
Management and
Landholder
Engagement in New
England NSW
Controlling fox
predation on
Southern Brown
Bandicoot
populations Upper
Wimmera
Restoring landscape
links and habitat for
threatened wildlife at
Project description
of eradication. Nicholson River Landcare has undertaken extensive native revegetation projects on
public land along the banks of the Nicholson River, Salt Creek and Butchers Creek (all of which flow
into the RAMSAR listed Gippsland Lakes), and also along the Rail Trail at Nicholson. Other
revegetation projects have been undertaken on private landholdings (including those of Landcare
members) in the vicinity of these sites.
The project will build on the success and expand the area of a project run by two Landcare groups in
the catchment to educate rural residential landowners about invasive species and to reduce the rabbit
population. Impacts of over-grazing by rabbits are resulting in reduced biodiversity, loss of native
groundcovers, reduced productivity, weed invasion and soil exposure resulting in erosion. Utilising
lessons from the previous project we will increase community awareness of the impact of the rabbits,
provide community training in techniques to control outbreaks, reduce the rabbit population by
broadcasting carrots dosed with Calicivirus and educate land owners of the follow-up work required
to keep numbers down (such as harbour destruction).
Most of the Network's 50 biodiversity reserves are adversely impacted by woody and herbaceous
weeds, rabbits and foxes. Over the past eight years, utilising a range of funding, these impacts have
been greatly reduced. Continuation of control measures is required but attention can now be given to
greater involvement of volunteers, especially local residents, in managing and caring for the reserves.
Grant
(GST
excl.)
9,990
20,000
197,340
Perimeter fencing around a 1000ha property will be upgraded to be feral-proof, allowing for staged
eradication to remove rabbits, cats and foxes. This will allow regeneration in remnant vegetation,
including protected peppermint box and lomandra grasslands and threatened species including the
monarto mintbush.
145,994
This project will establish a biodiversity corridor along the length of the Mt William Ridge line to
protect and restore remnant indigenous vegetation by fencing off stock access and establishing and
improving habitat for endangered species of flora and fauna found on the site. The project will also
complement the Deep Creek Landcare Group’s rabbit management activities in the area.
190,300
This project will reduce the threats to endangered ecological communities and threatened species in
the NSW New England region. The project will raise awareness about the impact of pest animals
such as pigs, foxes, wild dogs and rabbits on natural assets and agricultural production. Landholders
will be engaged in cooperative programs to control and manage these pests.
47,300
The project will focus on reducing the impact of fox predation on southern brown bandicoot
populations in the Upper Wimmera as part of a local southern brown bandicoot recovery plan. A
comprehensive and ongoing fox control program, demonstration sites for bandicoot-friendly rabbit
and weed control, and trials of complementary revegetation methods will be established.
This project will connect 23 000ha of threatened semi-arid woodland and mallee habitats across Trust
for Nature's 30 000ha Ned's Corner conservation property and nearby land. A landscape approach
will be used to restore 1452ha of native vegetation linking the Murray River with the woodlands and
68
525,800
Year
2011
-12
Project
ID
OC1200982
CAG10404091054
State
Region
Funding recipient
SHIRE OF
QUAIRADING
LEXTON
LANDCARE GROUP
INC
Project title
Ned's Corner
Reducing the impact
of rabbits on the
flora of Quairading
Nature Reserve
Making links
WA
SA
.
Wimmera
CAG10690971133
VIC
North
Central
PENTLAND HILLS
LANDCARE GROUP
INC
1st Upper Werribee
Landcare Network
Expo - will include
11 Landcare groups
CAG10771581218
ACT
Murrumbi
dgee
MICHELAGO AND
DISTRICT
LANDCARE GROUP
INC
Restoring habitat for
Glossy Black
Cockatoos
(Calyptorhynchus
lathami)
CAG10796541402
VIC
Mallee
VFF FARM TREE
AND LANDCARE
ASSOCIATION
INCORPORATED
Murrayville and
Districts Fox and
Rabbit Baiting
Program 2013
CAG10796681403
VIC
Murray
VFF FARM TREE
AND LANDCARE
ASSOCIATION
INCORPORATED
Community
Education & Action:
Pest Plants &
Animals in Chiltern
Mt Pilot Biolink
2012
-13
2012
-13
2012
-13
2012
-13
2012
-13
Project description
mallee. The project will reduce rabbit numbers, fence and revegetate sites and retire cropping land.
These actions will also aid the recovery of the vulnerable Regent Parrot and 20 other threatened
species by increasing habitat.
Grant
(GST
excl.)
140,250
A rabbit-proof fence around the southern 237ha section of Quairading Nature Reserve will be
constructed and other measures investigated to promote recruitment in the largest population of the
threatened column hakea.
This project adds on to a previous project to link areas of exisiting remnants. The focus is on riparian
and recharge areas (hill tops / slopes) as corridors for project work. The work will fence, spray to
remove exotic weeds, undertake any applicable soil conservation, weed or rabbit control works, then
direct seed sites with locally indigenous species (trees, shrubs and ground covers). The project will
further enhance existing linkages between the key areas of public forest in the area (Ben Major FR,
Ben More BR, Lexton NCR and Carralulup State Forest) across private land.
This project will bring together for the first time 11 neighbouring Landcare groups to promote
awareness amongst landowners in sustainable agriculture practices. The project will also recruit 25
new members and sign-up 15 enquiries for on-ground works. The on-ground issues to be addressed
include connecting remnant vegetation into biolinks across landholders’ properties, co-ordinated
rabbit control and reducing overgrazing which is causing soil erosion.
This project will establish stands of drooping sheoak on the higher slopes of previously grazed land
on six properties in the Michelago region to increase the density of habitat for the Glossy Black
Cockatoo (GBC) The GBC require stands of drooping sheoak as a food source. Due to land clearing
and grazing by stock and rabbits the drooping sheoak is now uncommon, and few stands of this
species are now found on previously cleared and grazed land. To establish this species requires
protection from grazing and the plant only establishes on drier hilly country 800 metres above sea
level.
This project will control rabbit and fox populations through baiting programs. Favourable conditions
over the past two years have seen rabbit and fox numbers build to colossal proportions. Murrayville
Landcare will implement a subsidised baiting program in support of the successful rabbit ripping the
group has been undertaking over the last decade.
The group is located between the Murray Sunset National Park and Big Desert NationalPark which is
an important bio-link for the Mallee region. Large pest populations are affecting local biodiversity
through foraging and building warrens, and are known to be present in the priority woodland areas.
Implementing an integrated pest management plan is paramount to optimising activities and value for
money, and this project will be a valuable support to primary control methods.
This project aims to increase awareness of the impact of pest plants and animals on biodiversity and
agricultural values in the Chiltern Mt Pilot Biolink area. The project will involve a series of
community workshops focussing on control of Weeds of National Significance and rabbits.
Outcomes will involve production of a Community Pest Plants and Animals Action Plan and will
support initial action programs on each of the pests, focussing on public lands and partnered with
adjoining private landholders. Progress on all activities will be monitored with results broadly
distributed to the community to encourage and initiate ongoing action.
69
19,990
16,180
9,910
18,000
19,990
Year
Project
ID
CAG10800301456
State
VIC
Region
Mallee
Funding recipient
WOOMELANG/LASC
ELLES LANDCARE
GROUP
Project title
Woomelang
Lascelles Rabbit
Action
CAG10802971503
SA
Eyre
Peninsula
PORT LINCOLN
ABORIGINAL
COMMUNITY
COUNCIL
Coffin Bay Parks
plant revegetation
project.
CAG10803521514
SA
Wimmera
RAINBOW AND
DISTRICT
LANDCARE GROUP
Rainbow and District
Rabbit Action
CAG10803561515
SA
Corangam
ite
VFF FARM TREE
AND LANDCARE
ASSOCIATION
INCORPORATED
Restoration of
Native Hut Creek
east side of
Inverleigh Flora &
Fauna Reserve
CAG10804481536
SA
Mallee
HOPETOUN
LANDCARE GROUP
INCORPORATED
Hopetoun Rabbit
Action
CAG10805041549
SA
Mallee
BEULAH
LANDCARE GROUP
Beulah Rabbit
Action
CAG10808321671
SA
Border
Rivers
MaranoaBalonne
QUEENSLAND
MURRAY-DARLING
COMMITTEE INC.
CAG9947841023
NSW
Hawkesbu
ry-Nepean
BARTON PARK
GIANT TREES
ARBORETUM
INCORPORATED
Building on
Successes,
Maintaining the
Balance, Protecting
Biodiversity
Rare and
Endangered
Australian Plants &
Wollemi Groves
2012
-13
2012
-13
2012
-13
2012
-13
2012
-13
2012
-13
2012
-13
2012
-13
Project description
This project will implement a subsidised rabbit baiting and ripping program across the Woomelang
Lascelles Landcare Group area targeting private landholders. Due to favourable conditions over the
past two years, rabbit populations have exploded throughout the region. By sheer weight of numbers,
these pests are having a major impact on the local flora and fauna by foraging for food and building
warrens in vulnerable areas.
This project will bring the Port Lincoln Aboriginal Community Council (PLACC) labour hire
workers to work with the Friends of Coffin Bay Parks group and NRM Aboriginal staff to reestablish endemic plant species in barren and degraded areas of Coffin Bay parks. Advice indicates
that rabbit and snail control are essential activities in a successful revegetation program. The PLACC
staff will work with volunteers from the Friends group to identify suitable plants, collect and process
seed, and carry out hand direct seeding. The PLACC staff will work with NRM Aboriginal staff to
carry out the rabbit and snail control program. It is anticipated that there will be a significant skills
transfer to participants within this project.
This project will control rabbit populations by implementing a subsidised rabbit baiting and ripping
program in the Lake Hindmarsh region. To minimise impact the Rainbow and District Landcare
Group will use best management practices particularly around areas of high environmental
significance such as Lake Hindmarsh.
This project will restore and rehabilitate Native Hut Creek, adjacent to the Inverleigh Flora Fauna
Reserve, by supporting landholders with the removal of pest plant and animals. The G2 Landcare
network will provide assistance to landholders occupying the middle reaches to control gorse,
boxthorn and rabbits, before undertaking restoration work along six km of waterway. The project will
remove heavy gorse and boxthorn infestations harbouring rabbits, allowing native grasslands to
recover and improve productivity on adjoining farm lands. The project will be implemented through
a management plan and agreed commitments between landholder and Landcare.
This project will address threats to flora, fauna and agriculture around the Hopetoun area resulting
from the increase in rabbit numbers over the past two years. The project will minimise the impact by
implementing a subsidised rabbit baiting and ripping program for land holders within the priority
area.
This project will address threats to flora, fauna and agriculture around the Beulah Creek catchment
area directly resulting from the increase in rabbit numbers. The project will minimise the impact by
implementing a subsidised rabbit baiting and ripping program across the Beulah Creek catchment
area, targeting private landholders.
This project will foster information sharing and capacity building within the Eukey community in the
face of increased threats on biodiversity from rabbits. The project will promote greater understanding
of the situation through a biodiversity survey, field days and production of extension material, aimed
at the wider community.
This project will deliver remedial earthworks and revegetation works. This work will include water
reticulation contour drainage erosion control, noxious weed eradication, feral animal control,
planting and walking path preparation. Trees are individually fenced at the Arboretum as there are
many large kangaroos on site as well as rabbits, approximately 700m of fencing is required. The area
70
Grant
(GST
excl.)
19,500
18,180
19,500
19,990
19,500
19,500
18,920
16,580
Year
2012
-13
2012
-13
2012
-13
2012
-13
2013
-14
Project
ID
OC1300050
OC1300270
OC1300273
OC1300439
Landcare
State
SA
SA
SA
WA
SA
Region
.
.
.
.
.
Funding recipient
COORONG
DISTRICT COUNCIL
ROYAL
ZOOLOGICAL
SOCIETY OF SOUTH
AUSTRALIA
SOUTH EAST
NATURAL
RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT
BOARD
DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENT
AND
CONSERVATION
Loxton to
Bookpurnong Local
Action Planning
Committee Inc.
Project title
Enhancing priority
remnant native
vegetation in the
Upper South East
Reducing the impact
of vertebrate pests
on a 1000 ha
property at Monarto
Project description
of the two groves is around 2.6 ha in the overall site of 16.4 ha. Members and the public will do all
the planting and fencing. Support students at Katoomba HS have already begun planting the seed and
will continue planting along with Cooerwull Primary School and other schools. Students will conduct
weed identification and monitoring for 18 months. Depleted and unused farmland will be rejuvenated
to create two new major collections.
This project will increase native habitat and reduce the impact of vertebrate pests and Weeds of
National Significance on endangered species within the Coorong and Tatiara Districts of South
Australia. This will be achieved through fencing to protect listed communities and endangered
species, controlling weeds, foxes and rabbits, providing technical support for onground works, and
enhancing partnerships between stakeholders.
This project will reduce the impact of rabbits, cats and foxes on 1000 ha of property in Monarto. The
outcomes of this work will be increased regeneration of habitat, revegetation and protection of EPBC
Act 1999 listed plant communities and species, and building skills and knowledge within the local
community.
Grant
(GST
excl.)
195,800
186,912
165,000
Strategic
biodiversity corridor
enhancement OC1300273
Control rabbits and
regenerate
threatened flora in
the Central
Wheatbelt of WA
Protecting River
Corridor and Mallee
Farmlands From
foxes or rabbits
This project will protect important corridors of threatened vegetation in the Upper South East of
South Australia and the western Wimmera in Victoria. The project includes actions to reduce total
grazing pressure, protect remnant corridors of Buloke Woodlands, Grey Box Grassy Woodlands and
Phebalium Lowanense, and manage rabbit populations.
237,600
This project will reduce rabbit populations and promote regeneration and protection of threatened
flora and habitat in the Central Wheatbelt of Western Australia. Management actions will include
rabbit and weed control, fire disturbance trials and translocation of threatened flora seedlings.
9,900
71