Rabbits
The European rabbit is Australia’s most widespread and destructive environmental and agricultural vertebrate pest.
Rabbits damage our local environments and pose a biosecurity risk by:
- destroying vegetation including lawns, playing fields, natural systems and agricultural lands
- directly competing with stock and native animals for food and habitat
- causing erosion, soil loss, destabilisation of waterway banks and undermining building foundations.
To better understand your rabbit control options, download the decision tool. PDF, 407.43 KB
Understanding your legal responsibility
Biosecurity is a shared responsibility where the government, industry and people of NSW work together to protect the economy, environment and community from the impacts of pest animals.
Under NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 every landholder has a General Biosecurity Duty.
To meet this duty all landholders must reduce risks caused by rabbit populations on land under their care and control, by undertaking control activities. Examples of activities you could undertake to achieve your general biosecurity duty are:
- undertaking both primary and supplementary pest animal control
- destroying warrens and known harbour (i.e. piles of old logs or bricks, dense weed infestation or clearing under old buildings)
- actively participating in a coordinated pest animal control programs (i.e. baiting or shooting)
- keeping pet rabbits secure and euthanising unwanted pet rabbits.
Where to get more information
Watch a short video on removing pests from peri-urban areas.
To better understand pest management issues in your region, please read your Regional Strategic Pest Animal Management Plan.
For further information on the history of rabbits in Australia, impacts and guiding documents/templates for management please visit the PestSmart website.
Read more about 1080 pest control orders and related information on the Environmental Protection Authority website.