Council is finalising plans for a targeted rabbit control program across approximately 181 kilometres of road reserves in the Ultima area, in response to ongoing concerns about rabbit impacts and to support the protection of local agriculture, infrastructure and the natural environment.
Council's acting Director Development and Planning, Dennis Hovenden said Rabbits remain a significant pest across the region, causing extensive damage to crops, native vegetation and soil structure.
"While control works on public land is an important part of managing populations, the long-term success depends on coordinated action across all land tenures.
"We're calling on private landholders to work alongside these efforts by undertaking rabbit control on their own properties. Without a coordinated approach, rabbit populations can quickly re-establish, undermining the effectiveness of control programs across the landscape," he said.
Mr Hovenden said Council acknowledges and thanks those landholders already actively managing rabbits on their properties. These efforts are vital in achieving meaningful and lasting results across the region.
Under Victoria's Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994, landholders are required to take all reasonable steps to prevent the spread of rabbits and, as far as possible, eradicate them from their land.
"Council recognises the importance of the region's agricultural productivity and environmental values and encourages all landholders to continue implementing control measures such as baiting and warren destruction. A coordinated pest animal management is essential to protecting the region's long-term productivity and environmental health.
"Rabbits do not recognise property boundaries. If we want lasting success, we need consistent and coordinated control across both public and private land," he concluded said.
