Equipping land managers to tackle rabbits in Wagga Wagga

With rabbit populations rebounding in many parts of Australia, equipping land managers with the knowledge and skills to respond has never been more important.

National Feral Rabbit Management Coordinator, Heidi Kleinert, is helping build that capability through practical masterclasses that promote coordinated, best-practice rabbit management.

Heidi joined NSW DPIRD staff to deliver two rabbit management masterclasses in Wagga Wagga last month.

The sessions brought together 25 participants from Local Land Services, Australian Rail Track Corporation, UGL Rail, and Coolamon and Junee Shire Council, blending classroom learning with hands-on field exercises.

Image left to right: Troy Crittle, Heidi Kleinert and Tarnya Cox.

Led by Troy Crittle and Tarnya Cox, alongside pest management consultant Mark Lamb and Heidi Kleinert, participants explored rabbit biology and ecology before applying best-practice control techniques on the ground.

A clear message ran through both sessions: successful rabbit management relies on strong collaboration between private and public landholders and the effective use of all available tools through integrated pest management.

Image: Fumigation demonstration.

The masterclasses equipped participants with the skills and confidence to drive landscape-scale change, and CISS looks forward to supporting more jurisdictions to deliver their own.

Learn more about best practice feral rabbit management on PestSmart and subscribe to Heidi’s quarterly newsletter here.