Connecting national expertise with local action in Kerang
How can landholders turn rabbit management advice into effective action across neighbouring properties? That was a key message from National Feral Rabbit Management Coordinator Heidi Kleinert at this month’s Kerang Pest Animal Forum.
Over 40 landholders, community members and natural resource management staff attended the forum, hosted by the North Central Catchment Management Authority. Heidi brought national expertise to local challenges, sharing practical control options and highlighting how working together can help protect farmland and threatened wildlife.
National Coordinator, Heidi Kleinert (right) with Britt Gregory and Owen Fox at the forum.
The event brought together pest management experts, including Heidi and Heather Channon, National Feral Pig Management Coordinator, alongside local practitioners to share practical approaches to reducing pest animal impacts and protecting threatened species such as the plains-wanderer.
The forum featured presentations covering rabbits, foxes, pigs, cats, deer and carp, with a strong focus on integrated pest animal management and the importance of coordinated action across landscapes.
Heidi Kleinert presented on rabbit management, highlighting current control techniques, the value of coordinated control programs, and the importance of community participation in reducing rabbit impacts on agriculture and biodiversity. Her session connected this advice with practical decisions about managing rabbits on individual properties and coordinating efforts with neighbours.
The rabbit session complemented presentations on cat and fox management and feral pig control, providing participants with practical, on-ground management options for multiple pest species.
By bringing together expertise on rabbits, pigs and other pest species, the forum provided attendees with a broader understanding of integrated pest management and the benefits of working in collaboration.
The event concluded with practical field demonstrations and information displays, allowing participants to see control methods in action and discuss management challenges directly with Agriculture Victoria and National Coordinators. These demonstrations reinforced the importance of combining technical knowledge with practical implementation to achieve long-term pest animal control outcomes.
The forum highlighted the value of local engagement, knowledge sharing and collaboration in supporting landholders and communities to manage pest animals more effectively across the Kerang Ramsar wetlands. Heidi’s involvement provided a direct link between national rabbit management knowledge and local action, helping build the capability and connections that coordinated control depends on.
