Page 12 - PR Mag Mar18

FAMILY
LAW

WILLS
INJURY AND

LAW ESTATES

They might be cute but…

Rabbits are synonymous with cuteness and innocence.

Between button eyes and fluffy tails, they and forestry seedlings, and compete hundreds of plants and animals, especially
couldn’t look cuddlier. But we shouldn’t with livestock for pasture. They damage other burrowing mammals. CONVEYANCING
judge a book by its cover, and a closer infrastructure and threaten cultural Queensland has achieved regional control
look at rabbits reveals their dark side: why history, exposing significant locations like of rabbits with a rabbit-proof fence. Built
owning one in Queensland could carry a Indigenous burial sites. In total, rabbits to prevent eastward rabbit infringement
fine of up to $60,000. cost Australia $600 million every year. and enable control within agriculturally
Brought over with the First Fleet, wild The rabbit is, however, most harmful to productive regions, the Darling Downs-
populations of the European rabbit the environment. One rabbit per hectare Moreton Bay Board Fence stretches 555
(Oryctolagus cuniculus) broke out by can prevent the regeneration of some kilometres from Mount Gipps to Goombi.
the 1820s. Over the next century, rabbits native plants; they selectively graze and Without the fence, farmers would lose
an estimated $30 million in productivity
annually.
The rabbit is considered Australia’s greatest pest. Pet rabbits are illegal in Queensland
Rabbits devour crops and forestry seedlings, and because every rabbit on this side of the

compete with livestock for pasture. They damage fence increases the chance of a potentially Norwinn Centre, 15 Discovery Drive
catastrophic population explosion.
infrastructure and threaten cultural history, exposing Rabbits are exceptionally prolific; females North Lakes
significant locations like Indigenous burial sites. In total, can have over 40 offspring a year. A PH 3385 0999
rabbits cost Australia $600 million every year. handful of escaped pets could rapidly
become a plague. ZANDE
It may seem strange that Queensland bans www.zandelaw.com.au
bred ferociously, numbering in billions, browse on seedlings. They erode topsoil, rabbits when they’re permitted in every L A W
eventually covering 5.3 million of compromising soil and water quality other state, but effective control here has
Australia’s 7.7 million square kilometres. nearby. Robbing native competitors given valuable relief to agriculture and
No mammal in recorded history has ever of resources and disproportionately ecosystems. It’s simply not worth the risk
spread so quickly. boosting invasive predator populations, to have any more of these destructive
The rabbit is considered Australia’s declines in many species are confidently pests in the state.
greatest pest. Rabbits devour crops attributed to rabbits. They threaten Charlotte Liehr

March 2018 www.pineriversqld.com.au 13