An exciting new program to reduce the impacts of rabbits on Phillip Island has begun this year.
With foxes eradicated and long-term feral cat program established, rabbits are the next feral animal in the crosshairs. Landcare, landholders, community groups, Phillip Island Nature Parks, and Bass Coast Shire Council will be Teaming Up to Tackle Rabbits. Furthermore, with three years of funding secured to bolster our efforts, long term effective rabbit control on Phillip Island becomes an attainable goal. Targeted and comprehensive rabbit control will take place in and around Summerland Peninsula, Observation Point and Fisher’s Wetland, which support significant populations of indigenous flora and fauna.
Supporting this targeted control will be an initiative to engage community members by offering tailored rabbit control and education to promote the benefits of effective broadscale rabbit control. Field days will be held to demonstrate best practice rabbit control techniques in conjunction with the use of digital platform monitoring tools such as the Rabbit Scan app. Subsidies for control will also be offered.
Bass Coast Landcare Network is offering a subsidy for Phillip Island residents. The subsidy’s primary focus is the removal and exclusion of rabbits from properties and is available to both urban and rural residents. Subsequently, BCLN are prepared to offer Phillip Island residents materials and services used to prevent rabbits from damaging private and public property. The level of financial assistance provided by BCLN is dependent on whether the landholder will be undertaking a portion of the control works themselves. If BCLN are required to conduct the installation works, the costs will be split 50/50, up to the relevant cap. Conversely, if a landholder intends to conduct the works themselves BCLN will provide the necessary materials, up to the pre-determined cap. It is worth noting that any landholder who wishes to undertake baiting on their property, will be assessed based on their proximity to known areas of Eastern Barred Bandicoot inhabitation.
With foxes eradicated and long-term feral cat program established, rabbits are the next feral animal in the crosshairs. Landcare, landholders, community groups, Phillip Island Nature Parks, and Bass Coast Shire Council will be Teaming Up to Tackle Rabbits. Furthermore, with three years of funding secured to bolster our efforts, long term effective rabbit control on Phillip Island becomes an attainable goal. Targeted and comprehensive rabbit control will take place in and around Summerland Peninsula, Observation Point and Fisher’s Wetland, which support significant populations of indigenous flora and fauna.
Supporting this targeted control will be an initiative to engage community members by offering tailored rabbit control and education to promote the benefits of effective broadscale rabbit control. Field days will be held to demonstrate best practice rabbit control techniques in conjunction with the use of digital platform monitoring tools such as the Rabbit Scan app. Subsidies for control will also be offered.
Bass Coast Landcare Network is offering a subsidy for Phillip Island residents. The subsidy’s primary focus is the removal and exclusion of rabbits from properties and is available to both urban and rural residents. Subsequently, BCLN are prepared to offer Phillip Island residents materials and services used to prevent rabbits from damaging private and public property. The level of financial assistance provided by BCLN is dependent on whether the landholder will be undertaking a portion of the control works themselves. If BCLN are required to conduct the installation works, the costs will be split 50/50, up to the relevant cap. Conversely, if a landholder intends to conduct the works themselves BCLN will provide the necessary materials, up to the pre-determined cap. It is worth noting that any landholder who wishes to undertake baiting on their property, will be assessed based on their proximity to known areas of Eastern Barred Bandicoot inhabitation.
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Urban
• Any property less than 1000m2 • $500 cap on assistance. • Baiting unavailable. • Services provided: fencing materials, fumigation, warren collapsing. |
Rural
• Any property 1000m2 or greater. • $1000 cap on assistance. • Baiting available. • Services provided: fencing materials, fumigation, warren collapsing and baiting. |
The Teaming Up to Tackle Rabbits project will address large-scale environmental and agricultural damage caused by rabbits on Phillip Island. This will greatly benefit threatened flora and fauna species, revegetation programs, and reduce the damage to infrastructure caused by rabbits.
Events will be advertised on our News and Events page, through our Enews (sign up below) and Phillip Island community group email lists.
For further information or to register your interest in participating, please contact our Invasive Species Officer at
[email protected] or fill in the contact form below.
Events will be advertised on our News and Events page, through our Enews (sign up below) and Phillip Island community group email lists.
For further information or to register your interest in participating, please contact our Invasive Species Officer at
[email protected] or fill in the contact form below.
