Rabbit control 'inequitable'

BY BLAIR ENSOR

Crown funding of rabbit control is "inequitable" and does not encourage effective management by farmers, according to a briefing prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Earlier this year, Marlborough's high country farmers expressed their concern at the cost of defending their properties against rabbits that had developed immunity to rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD).

In March, at a meeting with Biosecurity Minister David Carter, and ministers Tim Groser and Richard Worth, the South Island high country committee of Federated Farmers requested the Crown contribute about $3 million a year to control rabbits on private land and the establishment of voluntary rabbit control boards.

The Marlborough Express has obtained a briefing for the Minister of Biosecurity under the Official Information Act, which includes advice on the rabbit problem.

It cites a report by land management consultant Roger Lough, commissioned by MAF in August.

According to the brief, if the Crown intervened, its role should be "providing co-ordination, facilitation, access to appropriate tools, the removal of barriers and its meeting good neighbour obligations".

The report noted failure to manage rabbit populations on rabbit-prone grazing land could result in significant economic loss through reductions in stock-carrying capacity, but land occupiers were the main beneficiary from rabbit control, because it increased grazing and production.

Rabbit-prone properties continued to sell and showed little or no reduction in price, which meant abandonment resulting from rabbit impacts was unlikely to occur, the brief said.

Rabbit control and land management should not be separated.

To do so would "likely remove financial incentives driving best practice for land management on rabbit-prone land".

When contacted by The Marlborough Express, Mr Carter said he sympathised with farmers faced with "extremely high" costs of controlling rabbits.

But he said the Lough report "clearly acknowledges" government funding would be of private benefit to farmers.

"The chances of me being able to go through a Cabinet process and get relevant amounts of money in the current economic climate is not that high," he said.

"They [private land owners] have got to step up to the plate."

Mr Carter said he was still investigating whether Department of Conservation or Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) "adjoined" to private properties, were doing their "fair share" in the fight against rabbits.

In 2008-2009 DOC's rabbit control totalled $220,341, while LINZ's rabbit control for the same period was $210,000.

The brief offered some respite for Federated Farmers by acknowledging there was insufficient training for operators entering the industry and the skill base was not being maintained.

Intervention would be "beneficial and appropriate", the brief said.

Max Nelson, a rabbit controller in Marlborough for 43 years, said training skilled people was essential to the fight against rabbits and the recommendation was a "very bloody good direction" to be taking.

Mr Nelson said there were "a few" contractors that could carry out the basic jobs, but when it came to big poison jobs, which involved carrots and oats, there were few people left that could do it.

"There's absolutely no skills coming through ... anything at all would be great."

South Island high country committee co-vice president Jim Ward said the report focused on points that could be refuted and would be debated by the group.

"We are not disappointed. We are pragmatic enough to understand there is no-one running around with a gold card," he said.

- The Marlborough Express