Pets at risk as NSW Government plans virus release for rabbit control

Today in Parliament, Abigail gave notice of a motion condemning the NSW Government’s planned release of calicivirus for rabbit control without adequate warning, support or funding for pet owners.

Abigail said:

I give notice that on the next sitting day I will move:

(1) That this House notes that:

from 1 March 2025, Local Land Services (LLS) will commence its program to release the Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus RHDV1-K5, a rabbit calicivirus strain, across Greater Sydney and Central Coast LGAs, and at the same time private landholders and other public land managers will also release the virus,
calicivirus is fatal to domestic pet rabbits and the virus cannot be cured. It causes acute haemorrhaging of internal organs like liver and intestines, which lasts for up to 24 hours before death. Sometimes infected rabbits will show no signs and die suddenly,
the virus spreads easily from infected rabbits through droppings, urine, saliva, nasal secretions and during mating. It can also spread across contaminated objects such as food, clothing, cages and equipment, as well as through insects (especially flies and fleas), birds, rodents and the droppings of cats, dogs and foxes. The virus can survive in an environment for three and a half months over hotter periods and up to seven and a half months in moderate temperatures,
calicivirus has been used as a population control method for wild rabbits in NSW since 2017. Not only is this one of the most cruel and inhumane methods of control, during this time the NSW government has failed to provide any financial support to domestic rabbit owners, or to engage in any comprehensive education campaign with communities,
a single calicivirus vaccine shot costs hundreds of dollars depending on the clinic and availability,
rabbits need to be vaccinated every 6-12 months to protect them from the fatal calicivirus, however no vaccination is 100% effective at preventing infection, and
this latest release program was first announced by LLS just one month prior to its commencement, with local councils only announcing their participation in the program just two weeks prior, which is an unreasonably insufficient time for pet owners to ensure their pets have received these costly vaccinations.

(2) That this House calls on the NSW Government to:

immediately provide funding for free calicivirus vaccinations for all domestic rabbit owners across all affected LGAs,
roll out a comprehensive education campaign across LGAs involved in LLS’ release program, to ensure all domestic rabbit owners are aware of it, and
commit to investing in research into humane population control methods for wild rabbits, such as fertility control and exclusion fencing.

20 February 2025

PUBLIC ENERGY FOR PUBLIC GOOD - SIGN THE PETITION!

Electricity is an essential service. But Labor and Liberal governments have sold off NSW’s energy assets and infrastructure, leaving us at the mercy of the private sector for our energy needs. The result has been soaring energy bills, with more and more people being forced into energy poverty.

A privatised energy system will never deliver a cheap and clean energy network - It’s time to take the power back.

As we transition to 100% renewable energy, we must learn from the mistakes of privatisation, ensure our energy assets are kept in public hands, and rein in the actions of private operators.

Communities across NSW have for too long been at the mercy of privatised power network operators who continue to put profit above people, acting recklessly and cutting corners without regard for community expectations.

Recent catastrophic power outages in regional NSW have made headlines for just this - in Broken Hill, the state’s only 100% privatised transmission network operator has failed to deliver a safe and secure energy network, leaving communities in the dark because of mismanagement and neglect in the pursuit of profit.

To build our case for bringing electricity back into public ownership, the Greens are calling for a public parliamentary inquiry into all NSW power network operators, their operation and corporate decision-making practices.

Add your name now to support the campaign!

While you're here, want a free sticker? Click this link to grab yours now!

Will you sign?

First Name

Last Name

Mobile phone

Address (Street, Suburb, State, Postcode)

Country

I want to volunteer

Join with Facebook

Join with Twitter

Pets at risk as NSW Government plans virus release for rabbit control

PUBLIC ENERGY FOR PUBLIC GOOD - SIGN THE PETITION!

Will you sign?

Join the Campaign

Join 57,982 other supporters in taking action