City to start rabbit baiting program

THE City of Greater Geelong will this month start a control program to reduce very high rabbit numbers at 10 city-managed reserves.
The program will help prevent the impacts that rabbits may cause including environment degradation and damage to recreational facilities and infrastructure.
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.
A trial of the city’s revised pindone baiting program was completed in 2019. The program successfully reduced the number of rabbits damaging plants and natural habitats. No native wildlife was found sick or dead at any of the six sites, and there were no reports of any dogs consuming the bait during the trial baiting period.
Following the success of the 2019 trial, the 2020 pindone baiting program will be expanded to:

• Drysdale Pony Club, Reserve Road, Drysdale
• Griggs Creek, Curlewis
• Hovells Creek (Windermere Road to Forest Road North), Lara
• Lake Lorne, Reserve Road, Drysdale
• Limeburner’s East, Avalon
• McLeod’s Waterholes, Drysdale
• Mount Brandon Peninsula (Barwon and Moorabool River Reserve), Highton
• Mount Duneed Recreation Reserve, Mount Duneed
• Ted Wilson Trail (Ballarat Road to Church St), Hamlyn Heights, and
• Waurn Ponds Creek (Rossack Drive to Pioneer Road), Grovedale.

Pindone baiting will occur from April to early June by Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions-approved pest controllers.
Extensive efforts will be taken at each site to reduce the risk of other animals or humans coming into contact with pindone, which will be laid in the form of baited carrots or oats.
This includes stringent baiting
methods, installing temporary fencing, closing public access to some sections of the reserves and extensive signage around the baiting areas.
Neighbours of the reserves being baited will be notified via mail prior to the program starting. Any community members walking near the areas closed for baiting are advised to keep their dogs on leash.
COGG director of city services Guy Wilson-Brown said the rabbit control program was being perfomed using best practice pest control methods in accordance with Agriculture Victoria recommendations
“Rabbit spotlight counts indicated that following our 2019 pindone baiting program, rabbit numbers reduced by over 80 per cent at our baiting sites.”