As an introduced species a thriving rabbit population has a significant impact on agriculture and comes at the expense of many native plants and animals. They degrade landscapes in the Greater Geelong region by:

• digging warrens
• selectively grazing on vegetation and undermining native vegetation
• preventing natural regeneration and damaging revegetated sites (Figure 2)
• promoting the spread of invasive weeds
• aggressively competing with livestock for pasture
• reducing crop yields
• sustaining and supporting other vertebrate pests such as foxes and feral cats
• causing soil erosion
• increasing waterway siltation
• degrading ecosystem quality and resilience
• degrading cultural heritage sites
• creating unsafe surfaces for vehicles and pedestrians and
• undermining buildings and road structural integrity.

For all the reasons listed above rabbits are considered to be Australia's most serious herbivore vertebrate pest. Rabbits are listed as a significant threat for 304 species of nationally threatened native plants and animals (Centre for Invasive Species Solutions 2019).

The Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 requires all landowners to take reasonable steps to prevent the spread of rabbits and as far as possible eradicate them.

This Plan targets rabbits and doesn't address other pest animals such as foxes as we consider rabbits to be causing the most damage to our environmental recreational and agricultural assets at this time.

Figure 2: Rabbit grazing impacts on revegetated indigenous species along the Ted Wilson Trail Hamlyn Heights. Rabbits are constantly eating sheoak (Allocasuarina verticillata) growth above the top of the tree guard.

Figure 3: Native poa grasses trimmed by rabbits.