FARMERS are at their wits’ end dealing with wild rabbits as a plague of the pests sweeps across parts of New South Wales.
NSW Farmers’ Conservation and Resource Management committee chair, Bronwyn Petrie, said funding for co-ordinated, targeted pest control programs was needed to address the serious threat presented by the pests across the state.
“Controlling introduced pests like rabbits is essential for our environment and our animals, but it’s costing farmers huge sums of money, as well as time they don’t have,” Mrs Petrie said.
“What the federal government has promised to spend on fighting pests and weeds is a pittance compared to the problem, and our state government also needs to increase funding for coordinated pest control programs if we want to see any shift at all.
“Rabbits are just one example of what farmers are up against here in New South Wales, and we’re up to our ears containing that pest alone.”
NSW Farmers’ Junee branch chair, Martin Honner, said landholders in the Junee, Illabo, Wagga Wagga and surrounding districts were losing the battle to contain the destructive pests as they were reported in unprecedented numbers across the Riverina.
“The Easter bunny is one thing, but these pests are a whole other ball game that have been introduced into our nation and have been causing havoc ever since,” Mr Honner said.
“Every night, our paddocks are crawling with thousands of wild rabbits, who are ravaging our crops and pastures until there’s not a skerrick left on the ground.
“Numbers are well and truly past crisis point, and no matter how hard we try to contain these rabbits ourselves, the sheer scale of the population means we need huge investment, manpower and recognition of this problem if we can ever hope to get it under control.”
Local Land Services biosecurity officer, Jacob French, said rabbits are wreaking havoc on local ecosystems, farmland, and native wildlife.
“For effective long-term control of rabbits, landholders need to reduce populations by at least 90 per cent,” Mr French said.
“This can’t be achieved on your own, so working with your neighbours and the broader community is vitally important.”
In addition to traditional control methods like baiting, trapping, and shooting, the use of biological controls – such as the calicivirus – has been a topic of interest.
However, it is not a silver bullet and other methods need to be employed in conjunction for effective population control.
Timing is crucial when it comes to the virus’ release. If young rabbits are exposed too early, they may develop immunity and pass it on to future generations, diminishing the virus’ effectiveness.
