Time to ask searching questions about rabbits

FOR a number of years, the people of Central Otago have been very concerned about climate change, water quality and all sorts of other local issues, but very seldom does a massive problem hit the headlines — the rabbit plague which is completely rampant.

Some wellmeaning people many years ago brought into New Zealand a variety of pests and plants and the result is that billions of dollars have been spent on trying to eradicate or control many of them.

In 1989, the Government ended the role of the pest destruction boards, and gave the responsibility to regional councils, who decided they didn’t want the job and handed the eradication to the landowners.

This has been a terrible mistake in Central Otago as thousands of landowners for one reason or another are absent from their properties for most of the year, or don’t really care whether their neighbour is having rabbits eat his/ her vegetables, trees and shrubs, or that farmers are having pasture denuded of feed for their livestock.

Many landowners are doing their best to cope with the rabbits but it is a losing battle.

I would like some comment from the council and MP Jacqui Dean as to what action they are going to take urgently to get the rabbit population down to a low level, as there is no way that they will ever be eradicated.

It is high time that this issue was dealt with or we may find someone takes the matter into their own hands, as happened a few years ago.

Margaret Hall

Wanaka

[Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean replies:

‘‘Rabbits are one of the most serious agricultural and environmental pests in New Zealand. As National’s conservation spokesperson, I find it incredibly frustrating that the ideology of Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage and the Green Party is holding back progress on controlling these and other pests and eradicating predators.

‘‘The minister has been advised that biotechnology could be an efficient and more costeffective method of pest control and predator eradication than conventional approaches, but she has stopped any work being done to use this technology.

‘‘These are important conversations to have because New Zealand’s legacy is at stake. Science should inform conservation policy not the personal preferences of Green Party politicians.

‘‘National is committed to improving biodiversity outcomes by continuing with pest eradication and Predator Free 2050 — an initiative we introduced in 2016.’’]

[Otago Regional Council biosecurity and biodiversity team leader

Richard Lord replies:

‘‘Rabbit control in Central Otago has been complicated by the growth of periurban areas and subdivisions. While the responsibility for rabbit management does indeed sit with landowners, their options in these areas — where traditional controls like shooting and trapping are inappropriate — are narrowing and harder to coordinate between neighbours, and this presents a new challenge.

‘‘Communities in these areas need to work together to coordinate effective, appropriate control measures; we recommend poisoning with pindone rabbit pellets.

‘‘Over the past two years, ORC has revised its regional pest management plan and developed a biosecurity strategy, which involved public consultation, submissions and hearings. The new plan provides for increased effort by ORC to control pests.

‘‘Part of the biosecurity strategy involves a programme to facilitate the establishment of landownerled rabbit control groups this year. This will assist communities to work together, pool their resources, and coordinate control measures for the best effect.’’]

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BIBLE READING: Those whom I Iove, I reprove and discipline. — Revelation 3:19.