For Beechworth’s Jenni Gilliver, neighbours need to work together on a plan to combat feral rabbits.

Ms Gilliver attended an information session held in Beechworth last month on rabbit control hosted by the Ovens Landcare Network (OLN) at the Quercus Beechworth’s Oregon Hall.

Informative talks were delivered by Agriculture Victoria’s Alastair Campbell and Indigo Shire Council’s Dr Isla Fitridge.

Mr Campbell outlined various rabbit management plans and control measures with different techniques - including advantages and disadvantages - for farms, in towns and other areas as well as strategic approaches.

He said there's zero chance that rabbits will be completely eradicated in Victoria.

“Rabbits can breed mighty fast with seven generations in a year in a good season, and two rabbits can turn into about 700 in about six months,” he said.

The presenter said modern management talks about identifying the problem and working together with key state stakeholders to develop a plan and reducing the numbers by the most effective method.

Dr Fitridge said rabbits are a landscape-scale problem, and effective control requires coordinated action across properties, not just isolated efforts

“Integrated pest management is essential, as no single method works alone," she said.

“Warren ripping and fumigation, baiting (where permitted and safe), harbour removal (reducing access to shelter such as under houses and blackberries) with follow-up monitoring and maintenance all essential steps.

“Timing and persistence are really important.

“Control will be most effective when rabbit numbers are already low (post summer) with ongoing control not just one-off campaigns.

“Community engagement is critical and it was pleasing to see so many people come along to the information night.

“Education improves the uptake of control methods and participation by all landholders is the biggest determinant of success.”

Beechworth resident Ava Pellizzari said it’s important that property holders know about this information and get together.

“Many of them may not know, and they don't know where to start,” she said.

Ms Pellizzari said she hoped group training sessions would be available in Beechworth as planned for Chiltern.

“I'm on a small acreage, and am inundated with this problem,” she said.

“I have rabbit proof fencing in my paddocks, but the boundary fences aren’t rabbit proofed and this is where I'm having the challenging issue."

OLN’s Kerrie Warburton said rabbit control is a community wide project and needs to be tackled with community wide action to make a difference.

“It is different techniques for different areas, but it needs to be approached as a community,” she said.

“Individual land managers can help by removing potential rabbit harbour, ensuring rabbits cannot access breeding areas under buildings, water tanks, and in dense vegetation.”

Dr Fitridge said more information with a free app ‘RabbitScan (visit https://feralscan.org.au/rabbitscan) is available and will be rolled out to be used as a community coordinated approach to map rabbits.

She said updates about a planned Chiltern rabbit control workshop will be advised via council communications channels including participation in future coordinated rabbit action across the shire.

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