Page 1397 - Week 04 - Thursday, 5 May 2022
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(5) Further research is often not required as the negative environmental impacts of rabbits are well established. Programs focus resources on controlling the impacts of rabbits by controlling the rabbit population.
(6) The Best Practice Management Guide for Rabbits in the ACT considers that unless eradication of isolated populations is achievable, rabbits should be managed to a low population level. Acceptable rabbit populations are considered to be <1 rabbit per hectare or <6 rabbits per spotlight kilometre, within the relevant management unit. The population threshold considered acceptable will also depend on land use and management objectives, and nature of damage being caused.
(7) This threshold is based on scientific research previously undertaken to provide guide to expected number of rabbits seen at a low, medium or high population density.
Research sources for rabbit threshold establishment are as follows : Trudy Sharp and Glen Saunders, 2012. Code of practice for the humane control of rabbits. Model Code of Practice. PestSmart website https://pestsmart.org.au/toolkit-resource/code-of-practice-rabbits and,
Williams, K., Parer, I., Coman, B., Burley, J. and Braysher, M. (1995) Managing Vertebrate Pests; Rabbits. Bureau of Resource Sciences/CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology, Canberra(https://pestsmart.org.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/06/Managing_Vertebrate_Pests_Rabbits.pdf ).
(8) Rabbit have not been identified as vectors of zoonotic disease so have not been the focus of any recent health research.
(9) Rabbit control is ongoing across the ACT. Each year priority conservation sites are identified via the abovementioned process and programs are developed to control the impact of rabbits. Fumigation is the most common method in urban nature reserves and suppresses controlled populations. Larger programs that require harbour destruction, poisoning and follow up shooting also occur when the populations require a greater reduction to reduce impacts.
(10) Resourcing for the Rabbit Management Program consists of 4 FTEs plus approximately $100,000 of recurrent non-employee expenses.
(11) Current priority areas for rabbit management within the conservation estate that exceed the acceptable impact threshold are:
• Ainslie Majura Nature Reserves
• Mt Pleasant Nature Reserve
• Percival Hill Nature Reserve
• Jerrabomberra Wetlands
• Red Hill Nature Reserve.
Drugs—roadside testing
(Question No 708)
Mr Davis asked the Minister for Transport and City Services, upon notice, on 8 April 2022 (redirected to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services):
(1) What substances are currently tested for in roadside drug tests in the ACT.
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