Rabbits

 

Weeds and Pest Management Plan 2023–2026

The Victorian Government has made funds available for the 2024–2025 Roadside Weeds and Pests Program to support eligible councils responsible for managing sections of rural roadsides.

Buloke Shire Council is among the regional councils in Victoria that has received funding through this program in previous years.

This funding has supported our efforts to manage regionally controlled and restricted weeds and pests along rural roadsides.

Weed Control Laws

• The Catchment and Land Protection (CaLP) Act 1994 is the primary legislation governing the management of invasive plants (weeds) in Victoria.
• Under the CaLP Act, landowners are responsible for managing noxious weeds on their property. Council is responsible for managing noxious weeds on land under its management.

On Roadsides

Buloke Shire Council carries out annual weed control along rural roadsides to manage priority Regionally Controlled and Restricted weeds, as outlined in our Roadside Weeds and Pests Control Plan.

Noxious Weeds

Under the CaLP Act, certain plants are declared as noxious weeds in Victoria. These plants can cause environmental or economic harm or have the potential to do so and may pose risks to livestock and human health.

Agriculture Victoria, within the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, is responsible for enforcing weed control under the CaLP Act.

The CaLP Act defines four categories of noxious weeds as detailed below:

• State Prohibited Weeds

  These weeds must be eradicated from Victoria or prevented from entering the state. The Victorian Government is responsible for their eradication or may direct landowners to prevent their growth and spread.
  Examples: Hawkweed, horsetail, mesquite, Mexican feather grass, parthenium weed, salvinia, water hyacinth

• Regionally Prohibited Weeds

  Landowners, including public authorities managing Crown land, must take all reasonable steps to eradicate these weeds from their land.
  Examples: Cape tulip (one and two-leaf), African feather grass, Scotch thistle, serrated tussock

• Regionally Controlled Weeds

  Landowners must take all reasonable steps to prevent the growth and spread of these weeds on their land.
  Examples: Horehound, Bathurst burr, African boxthorn, wheel cactus, Paterson’s curse

• Restricted Weeds

These weeds are generally widespread. Trade in these weeds or their propagules (as plants, seeds, or contaminants in other materials) is prohibited.
Examples: Bridal creeper

Please take the time to fill out the Rural Roadside Weeds and Rabbit Reporting Form

More Information

For further details, visit the following resources:

• Agriculture Victoria
• Victorian Declared Noxious Weeds List
• Weeds Australia – Weed identification and information

 

 

Rabbits are the worst and most destructive introduced pest animal in Victoria.

They cause environmental damage to;

• Native vegetation
• Competing with native animals for food, water and habitat
• Cause erosion, soils loss and destabilization to creek and river banks.
• Cause damage to farming land and crops.
• Rabbits inflict severe economic costs to agriculture, amenity value of parks and gardens by feeding on plants and digging up turf and are a problem to home gardens.

There is no quick fix to eradicate rabbits and more than one measure is required and landholders need to be persistent.

Legal Responsibility

All landowners are legally required to take measures to control rabbits.  State legislation (Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994) requires landowners to control declared Pest Plants and Animals, including rabbits, on their land.  Control is defined as taking action to minimise their impact and to prevent their spread. 

Buloke Shire Rabbit Project

Between 2009 and 2011, Buloke Shire received funding through the Building the Capacity of Local Government to respond to Pests Program. We undertook approximately 700km of rabbit works on Buloke shire roadsides. These works married in with rabbit control works done by local landcare groups and aligned with the Mallee Action Plan which also supports community action in controlling rabbits within the DPI priority Central Mallee Community Rabbit project area.  

Since the initial funding received, Buloke Shire Council has received funding from the Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastrucure to continue works on roadsides and to complete a DEPI approved Roadside Weed and Rabbit Control Plan.  This initiative helps us to plan and manage 'regionally prohibited' and 'regionally controlled' weed and pest animals on rural roadsides in line with State and regional priorities.