For effective rabbit management, land managers must be motivated by an awareness of potential or actual rabbit damage. They need to know what can and should be done to alleviate it, and to be involved at all stages of the management process: planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
State and territory pest management authorities with appropriately trained field staff operating at the regional and local level have a primary role in motivating landholders to take appropriate action. Locally-based schemes such as Landcare groups are a primary means for governments to work with landholders.
Successful examples of this approach include the Bathurst Scheme and the Pine Creek Rangecare Group. Further studies are required, however, to determine the essential elements of successful schemes, and whether these will continue to operate after government assistance is withdrawn.
Public lands
— Governments manage large tracts of land infested with rabbits. While private landholders are required by governments to manage rabbits, there is often no such obligation on governments.
Private landholders see this as inequitable. As a minimum, governments should manage and maintain an adequate buffer zone between public and private land to protect adjacent properties. If there are insufficient resources for effective, sustained management across all public land, efforts should be concentrated in high-value areas.
Legislation
— Legislation should clearly state the responsibility of land managers for rabbit management and facilitate appropriate action. Equally important is the ability and commitment to enforce the legislation. Legislation is also needed to regulate the use of toxic chemicals.
Who should implement control?
— Many aspects of rabbit management require trained, experienced advisers and operators. While some landholders and land managers have skills in rabbit management, those without such skills may wish to be trained. Where this is impracticable, hire of government services or use of contractors is an alternative.
Training — States and territories which do not have the resources and expertise to train field staff may be able to access training programs in states such as South Australia and Western Australia, which could recover costs for this service.
Training in rabbit control needs to be part of integrated vertebrate pest management which, in turn, is part of a holistic approach to management. This document and the associated documents on other vertebrate pests may be useful in training vertebrate pest managers.
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