Otago Regional Council (ORC) estimates 25,000ha of Otago will exceed its new regulations for the control of rabbits, mostly in Central Otago.
ORC confirms rabbit numbers are at the highest level since the illegal introduction of the Rabbit Haemorrhage Disease (RHD) into New Zealand in 1997. Most exceedences in the region are on the rabbit-prone lands of Central Otago, up from 9200ha last year to 10,660ha this year.
The new Regional Pest Management Strategy (RPMS) will be operational within the next two weeks. Landowners must comply with the new Maximum Allowable Level (MAL) of three (on the modified McLean Scale of 0-8 measuring rabbit and/ or hare activity) by October 2012.
McLean scale MAL three determines ‘‘sign is infrequent with some faecal pellet heaps more than 10m apart and odd rabbits may be seen''.
ORC director of resource management Selva Selvarajah said a second paper regarding compliance was expected to be released at the next council meeting on May 6.
‘‘The second paper is going to basically outline the procedures and process that we will be taking to achieve that 2012 target,'' Dr Selvarajah said.
‘‘We will be door-knocking on every property that's got rabbit problems and providing a written letter to the property owners stating that they are not complying with the MAL-required number and therefore they need to take some control programme to meet our particular management strategy by 2012.''
As in previous years, the largest area in breach within Central Otago lies in the Upper Clutha area, with the Tarras, Luggate and Lowburn areas accounting for most of the land involved.
Land alongside the Kyeburn River and to the east of Waipiata accounts for the Maniototo land that is in breach.
‘‘Anybody exceeding that MAL three will have to submit a programme to the council,'' Dr Selvarajah said.
Once farmers had been informed by letter they would have two months to submit a control programme to ORC.
‘‘The farmers use that programme to undertake rabbit control over the next two to three years.''
Most people would meet that requirement, he said. ‘‘If the programme is not submitted within the two months then the council will put together a programme and serve it on the farmer as a notice of direction under the Biosecurity Act.''
