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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-06-05 Daily Xml
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Adelaide Hills Pest Species

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN (Kavel) (14:29): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water, the Deputy Premier. Is the minister taking additional steps to address pest species in the Adelaide Hills, particularly rabbits? With your leave, sir, and the leave of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: Agricultural businesses in my community are facing additional pressure from overabundant species. It has been birds and other pest species invading orchards and other horticultural crops.

An honourable member: And bats.

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: And bats. Now, of course, we are facing significant numbers of rabbits putting pressure on those businesses as well.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Minister for Workforce and Population Strategy) (14:29): I appreciate the question. I know it comes from concerns that are raised probably regularly and frequently with the member, and probably several other members here, about the impact of rabbits on the local community.

The way that rabbits are managed legally in South Australia is that they are the responsibility of the landholder, as are other pest animals; that's how it's characterised under the landscapes act as it was updated most recently in 2019. That said, we recognise through the landscapes approach that individual landholders can find it challenging to manage pests without any guidance or assistance and, particularly, that they are keen to see that other landholders are doing the same because if you look after your own bit you just get the rabbits from elsewhere.

Work has been done to assist landholders, first of all, in guidance on what kind of baiting is available and desirable and what kind of fencing can be used appropriately, but also there are periods of time when the landscape board through the Hills and Fleurieu offers collection days and distribution days for the pindone baited carrots, which are the ones that are particularly effectively lethal for rabbits.

My understanding is that that occurs, really, in the first quarter of the year and that coincides with the breeding cycle—so January to March—so we have now missed that time for this year, but naturally we will make sure that the member and other relevant members are informed the next time that is made available. For those who are particularly under stress with rabbits, I would suggest that they simply get in touch with their local landscape board and see what the latest advice is and whether there is any capacity to link up with other landholders nearby in order to attempt to suppress collectively.

Obviously, rabbits were not a welcome addition to the Australian landscape and have caused enormous harm. The calicivirus was effective to a degree and certainly has helped reduce the numbers, but they remain a persistent and ongoing problem. Many pest animals—and overabundant native animals, in fact—have become problematic in these times of drought because as the landscape becomes more hostile further out, they are drawn into places where there are more water sources, either because there is a bit more rain through the Hills, although there hasn't been sufficient recently, or because water is put out and there is access to feed and water.

We recognise that it is a challenge. We don't want to leave landholders feeling that they are entirely alone in dealing with that, although recognising that legally they do have an obligation to manage what is on their land, and through the landscape boards we are attempting to provide the kind of support that might be effective. As I say, I urge them to get in touch with their local landscape board to raise any particular questions that they have.

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