A word from the Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator (October 2025)
As spring unfolds across the Riverina producers are turning their attention to pasture growth, lambing outcomes, and pest pressure. One issue that continues to impact productivity and landscape resilience is the presence of feral rabbits.
The National Feral Rabbit Management Coordination Program has recently received renewed federal support, helping to drive coordinated control efforts across regions. This is a timely opportunity for producers to tap into national resources and align local control strategies with best-practice approaches.
A key resource is the European Rabbits Toolkit, hosted by PestSmart. PestSmart is an initiative of
the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, providing science-based tools and information to support pest animal and weed management across Australia.
The toolkit includes:
- A Glovebox Guide for on-ground rabbit management.
- Access to RabbitScan, a free tool for mapping rabbit activity and planning control.
- Instructional videos and technical updates on biological control agents like RHDV.
Explore the toolkit: pestsmart.org.au/toolkits/european-rabbits
PestSmart also publishes a regular newsletter featuring updates on pest management programs, new resources, and case studies from across the country. You can subscribe here: pestsmart.org.au/subscribe-to-our-newsletter
Reducing rabbit numbers not only improves pasture availability and crop yields, it also protects native vegetation and reduces erosion risk. If you’re planning control activities this season, I encourage you to explore these tools and consider collaborating with neighbours or local groups for greater impact.
This article was written by Jade Auldist. Jade is the Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator for the Riverina region. Her role supports farmers, industry and community groups (including Landcare Groups) to adopt new and innovative sustainable agriculture practices.
For further information on this article, please contact Jade at jade.auldist@lls.nsw.gov.au.
