Rabbits on the Northern Beaches 

Domesticated rabbits arrived in Australia with the First Fleet. The first wild population began in Victoria in 1859 when rabbits were released for hunting. Wild rabbits are now abundant across Australia and are well established on the Northern Beaches. Wild rabbits are found in all kinds of habitats from bushland reserves and urban boundaries, golf courses, sportsfields and private properties where they can destroy vegetation and graze on open lawn.

Priority Pests

Wild rabbits are a Priority pest and are responsible for major environmental damage to native vegetation, sportsfields, reserves, lawns and gardens. According to the NSW Government, wild rabbits cost Australia more than $200 million in damage each year. 

Why are rabbits a problem?

Rabbits are a problem because they destroy native vegetation, increase erosion and damage lawns, gardens and sportsfields. They eat the seedlings of native and garden plants, reducing native plant biodiversity and competing with native animals for food and shelter.

Rabbit control programs

Australia has been running wild rabbit control programs since the 1920s, and managing feral animals in urban areas works best when efforts are coordinated. Council undertakes a range of control measures, including the annual release of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHDV1), targeted shooting, warren fumigation, and other approved methods to help reduce their impacts across the community. Where targeted shooting programs are undertaken, Council engages specialist professional contractors that follow detailed safety protocols.  

What can you do?

Council undertakes rabbit control across the LGA, and property owners can help too. If you have wild rabbits on your property, please manage them by engaging a qualified pest controller or following Council's rabbit‑trapping procedure and trap‑hire program. 

Council also facilitates a community wild rabbit trapping program. Council’s cage traps are easy to use and a humane way to trap wild rabbits. They are not to be used for any other purpose or to capture any other species. After you have caught a wild rabbit in your trap, you need to take it to a participating veterinary clinic to euthanise the animal. Please call the clinic prior to your visit to check they have the availability to carry out the procedure. If you trap a domestic animal, please ensure it is unharmed and release it or contact the owners if possible. If a native animal has been trapped, the animal should be checked for injury and released in a well sheltered area. If the animal is nocturnal such as a ringtail or brushtail possum or a bandicoot, the animal should be kept in a sheltered, dark place until dusk, and then released exactly where it was captured.

If the native animal has an injury, please take it to a vet or contact:

• WIRES - 1300 094 737
• Sydney Wildlife Rescue Service (24/7) - 9413 4300

The following veterinary clinics support Council in the wild rabbit trapping program:

• Mona Vale Veterinary Hospital. 22 Park Street, Mona Vale. Phone: 9999 2269
• Collaroy Veterinary Hospital. 1185 Pittwater Road, Collaroy. Phone: 9971 8487

You will not be charged for bringing trapped animals here to be euthanized.

Please call the clinic prior to your visit to check they have the availability to carry out the procedure.

You may also find the following documents useful:

• Wild Rabbit Trap Hire
• Wild Rabbit Monitoring Sheet
• Wild Rabbit Trap Operating Guide

Landowners have responsibilities under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 to help manage wild rabbit populations on their properties. Wild rabbits can contribute to land degradation and compete with native wildlife, and they are recognised as a key threat to endangered species and ecological communities under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Keeping wild rabbits off your property 

There are three simple steps you can take to keep wild rabbits off your property:

1. Fence the property to prevent access
2. Place blood and bone around the property boundary to deter rabbits
3. Spray plants with a liquid deterrent made from boiled garlic and chilli and reapply after rain

Sydney North Vertebrate Pest Committee

Sydney North Vertebrate Pest Committee was established in 1998. The group consists of key land managers from across the Sydney North Region including local government, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Local Land Services, Forestry NSW, Sydney Water, Taronga Zoo and Sydney Harbour Federation Trust. The aim of the group is to share information, raise awareness, educate the community and develop the skills required to manage feral animals including rabbits.

Own a pet rabbit?

Abandoning domestic rabbits contributes directly to the wild rabbit population on the Northern Beaches. When released, whether deliberately or by accident, pet rabbits can easily establish in the wild and interbreed with existing populations. Releasing a pet rabbit is both cruel and irresponsible, and if you can no longer care for your rabbit, please find it a new home or contact a pet rescue service such as the RSPCA.

Releasing non‑native animals without a licence (except homing pigeons) is prohibited under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974. Abandoning animals is also an offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979, with penalties of up to $5,500 or six months’ imprisonment.

If you choose to own a pet rabbit, responsible care is essential. Ensure your rabbit is de‑sexed, vaccinated annually against Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease, and kept in a secure hutch to prevent escape. Taking these steps helps protect both your pet and the local environment.