Keeping rabbits out of region

Baiting program prevents spread

A BAITING program of rabbit warrens in Highfields and the northern Toowoomba region has prevented the creation of up to 6000 new pests every year, according to the council.

Cr Anne Glasheen, who is the chair of the Darling Downs Moreton Rabbit Board, updated her colleagues at last Tuesday’s ordinary meeting about the efforts by the DDMRB, the council and Queensland Murray Darling Committee to survey and shut down rabbit breeding areas.

Cr Glasheen said the massive survey of thousands of properties in the northern Toowoomba region, and subsequent baiting, had produced great results.

“I’d like to let you know some statistics that over the last 12 months, staff from DDMRB, the TRC and the Queensland Murray Darling Committee having been doing major surveying on the northern side,” she said.

“(Areas surveyed were) north of the Toowoomba Range Crossing, west of Gowrie Junction, Merritts Creek and the Hampton areas.

“Up to about the end of August, 3140 properties were attended by staff. There were 1416 breeding places located on 310 properties, which saw rabbits spread to another 381 properties.”

Cr Glasheen said the baiting program had removed thousands of rabbits from areas just north of Toowoomba.

“There will be 110 less warrens in the Highfields area now, and they were producing up to 6000 rabbits per year,” she said.

The DDMRB is made up of councillors from Toowoomba, Scenic Rim, Lockyer Valley, Gold Coast, Southern Downs and the Western Downs.

The organisation maintains the 555km rabbit-proof fence running from Mt Gipps in the south-east pocket to Goombi near Chinchilla.

The fence protects 28,000sq km of land in southern Queensland from rabbits.