Peel-Harvey landholders called on to help manage rabbits across the region

Local landholders are being called on to help manage Australia’s most costly pest.

The Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group will seek help curtailing the number of rabbits across the region through a series of information sessions next month.

Executive officer Teele Hooper-Worrell said it was essential property owners understood how to control rabbits effectively, regardless of whether the property is a few hectares or a productive farm.

“Rabbits cause over $270 million in damage to agriculture every year, but that figure doesn’t capture the damage to our native ecosystems or the day-to-day impact on landholders,” she said.

“Rabbits impact on landholders in a range of ways – they graze on crops, prevent native plants from regenerating, their warrens can make a paddock unusable or even undermine buildings.

With food supplies reducing and breeding taking a slight lull, summer and early autumn was considered the best time to manage the invasive pests.

“Just one or two rabbits can lead to long-lasting effects and should initiate control by landholders,” Ms Hooper-Worrell said.

“Two rabbits become many rabbits in a short amount of time.”

Five information sessions throughout December will take place with the first in Mandurah on December 3 from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.

The Shire of Murray will host a meeting on December 5 from 5pm to 7pm before December 7 sees a session in Lake Clifton from 9am to 12pm.

An Oakford session will be hosted on December 10 from 5pm to 7pm.

The PHBG will also be hosting an online session on December 12 from 5pm to 7pm.

The sessions will explore a range of control methods including trapping, shooting, and poisoning along with biocontrols.

The PHBG will also provide information on the 2025 calicivirus release, a biocontrol option for managing bigger rabbit populations.

To prepare for the release and improve the initiative, the PHBG is working with local landholders to trap rabbits so they can test for areas of low immunity.

Interested landowners can visit PHBG.org to register for the workshops or to learn more.