Rabbits are Australia’s most serious pest herbivore and we are legally required to control them. Only one rabbit per hectare will stop the growth and regeneration of native plants. Rabbits also promote the spread of noxious weed species such as boxthorn and gorse.

Rabbit Control Plan 2021-2026

Our inaugural Rabbit Control Plan 2021-2026 was adopted by Council on 27 July 2021. We would like to thank our community and the various stakeholders who provided input into the development of the plan over the three phases of consultation. We are looking forward to implementing this important plan.

Please visit our Have Your Say page to download a copy of the final plan and learn more about the consultation process involved.

Recent rabbit control activities

Rabbit baiting program - March/April 2023

The Environment and Biodiversity Team is about to commence a baiting program to reduce rabbit numbers at fifteen City managed reserves (in accordance with the City’s Rabbit Control Plan 2021-2026) to reduce high rabbit numbers at priority City managed reserves.

The program will commence in early March and conclude by mid-April 2023 (weather dependant).

The baiting program is an important part of our integrated rabbit control program which aims to reduce the impacts of rabbits including environment degradation and damage to recreational infrastructure. 

The baiting program is occurring at the following City-managed reserves:

1. Barwon & Moorabool River Reserve - Mt Brandon Peninsula (100-102 Highett Rd) Highton
2. Barwon & Moorabool River Reserve (155 Upper Paper Mills Drive) Fyansford
3. Belchers Reserve (Bushland reserve @ 65 Belchers Road) Drysdale
4. Buckley Park (257 The Esplanade) Point Lonsdale end
5. Cowies Creek (360 Melbourne Road) North Geelong
6. Elcho Park (125 Elcho Road) Lara
7. Hovell’s Creek Reserve (255 Windermere Road) Lara
8. Hovell’s Creek Reserve (8 Kanowna Place) Lara
9. Lake Lorne & Drysdale Pony Club (51-59 Reserve Road) Drysdale
10. McLeod’s Waterholes (30 Duke St) Drysdale
11. Moonah Park (24-34 Barwon Terrace) Barwon Heads
12. Mt Duneed Recreation Reserve (130 Russells Road) Mt Duneed
13. Rees Reserve (15 Wilson Road) Little River
14. Waurn Ponds Creek – Rossack Drive to Pioneer Road – both sides of the creek
15. Waurn Ponds Creek – west side of Rossack Road – both sides of the creek

Extensive efforts are taken at each site to reduce the risk of other animals or humans coming into contact with the bait. These include:

• Baiting will occur behind permanent and/or temporary fencing or at reserves that can be closed to the public during the baiting period.
• Signage will notify the public of partial reserve closures during the four-week baiting window and letters have been posted to residents living in close proximity to these reserves.
• Baits of chopped carrot or oats treated with anticoagulant poison ‘Pindone’ will be laid by a licensed contractor in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions.
• Baits will be laid late in the afternoon and uneaten baits and/or rabbit carcasses cleaned up the following morning.
• Signage will inform the public that dogs should be restrained and not allowed to roam in these reserves during the baiting period.
• Pindone is a first-generation rodenticide so there is a low risk that pets might get sick if they ingest poisoned bait or rabbit carcasses. Vitamin K1 which is an antidote for Pindone is stocked at veterinarian clinics.

The City’s rabbit control program has been developed using expert advice and information provided by Agriculture Victoria and the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions.

Once the baiting program is complete and rabbit numbers have been reduced we will continue to control rabbits by removing harbour and destroying warrens to limit their ability to repopulate these reserves.

Please contact our Environment Unit on 03 5272 5272 for further information.

Other recent rabbit control activities

1. Mt Duneed Recreation Reserve - warrens ripped and fumigated
2. Mt Brandon Peninsula (53-57 Rivergum Drive Highton) - warrens (and a fox den) fumigated).
3. Basin Reserve Drysdale - warrens fumigated.
4. Belchers Reserve Drysdale - harbour removed warrens ripped and fumigated.
5.  Hovells Creek Lara (between Windermere Road and Forest Road North) - warrens fumigated
6. Hovells Creek Lara (8 Kanowna Place) - Harbour removed (boxthorn thicket) warrens fumigated.
7. Dooliebeal Reserve Armstrong Creek - warrens fumigated and rabbit proof gate installed
8. Knights Road (Queenscliff Road end) Permission has been granted from the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP) to impact the roadside native vegetation (to the minimum extent necessary) during implosion ripping and fumigation activities. Please note that we will be very careful to have as little impact on the native vegetation present as possible. Over 200 warrens have been fumigated and over 640 entrances closed.
9. Manifold Road St Leonards Permission has been granted from the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP) to impact the roadside native vegetation (to the minimum extent necessary) during implosion and ripping activities. Please note that we will be very careful to have as little impact on the native vegetation present as possible. Over 250 warrens with 627 entrances have been fumigated and manually collapsed. A total of 4.14 tonnes of bower spinach sea berry saltbush and fallen timber was taken to the Drysdale Transfer Station and 3 sheoak limbs were removed. No other native species were impacted during these works.
10. Community support The City provided assistance to the Batesford Stonehaven and Fyansford Landcare Group Maude & District Landcare Group and the Barrabool Hills Landcare Group with their baiting programs by performing a mail out to properties in their target areas.

Rabbits in the City

Rabbits breed very quickly. As a result rabbit populations can multiply rapidly and spread over large areas if no effective control action is taken.

Rabbits are Australia’s most serious pest herbivore. Only one rabbit per hectare will stop the growth and regeneration of native plants. Rabbits also promote the spread of noxious weed species such as Boxthorn and Gorse.

The damage that uncontrolled rabbit infestations can have on the environment agriculture and our open spaces is enormous costing Australian agriculture alone an estimated $600 million per year.

Pest control is a complex issue and there are often conflicting community views on what actions we should take to control rabbits.

We receive many complaints from the community about rabbits especially as they become more visible in suburban gardens agricultural areas and City managed reserves.

Our rabbit control program has been developed using expert advice including information provided by Agriculture Victoria and the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions.

The recent expansion of the City’s rabbit control program has been made possible by the Restoring Rural Landscapes program. This City-funded landscape restoration program has greatly increased the resources available for pest plant and animal control activities on City-managed reserves and roadsides.

Please watch this video to learn more about why rabbits are such a big problem in the Geelong region. A big thank you to Sophie and Geoff from the Bellarine Landcare Group for sharing their time and expertise.

Responsibility for rabbit control

Every landowner is responsible for the control of rabbits on their land.

We are responsible for controlling rabbits on City-owned and managed land. We also can play a role in raising awareness of the harm rabbits cause promote and encourage best practice control techniques and support local Landcare groups to coordinate local control programs.

Agriculture Victoria is responsible for overseeing and enforcing rabbit control under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994.

Prioritising rabbit control activities

In general we prioritise control activities at locations where:

• we can partner with and coordination our efforts with adjoining landholders public land managers and Landcare groups
• high biodiversity values are present or to protect assets such as sporting fields buildings and walking tracks.

Our control efforts are constrained by many factors including:

• the large area of land that we manage and the range of landscapes and habitats within it
• our finite resources (budget and time)
• community safety and wellbeing concerns and/or perceptions of risk
• native vegetation laws
• cultural heritage laws
• Underground services
• laws regulating to management around waterways (this is a particularly complex issue).

We adapt our control program and the methods we utilize depending on the constraints present at each site.

Control rabbits on your property

• Visit the Pest Smart website or the Agriculture Victoria website for more advice.
• The Victorian Rabbit Action Network (VRAN) also have many useful videos on their YouTube channel.
• Contact your local Landcare Group to find out more about rabbit control in your area.
• Remember – coordinated action brings the best results. Get together with your neighbors and talk about how you might work together to control rabbits in your area.

Need to know more...

Contact our Environment and Biodiversity Team on 03 5272 5272 and ask to speak to someone about rabbit control or email ebadmin@geelongcity.vic.gov.au.