Rabbit Control: Shooting Operations
We're carrying out control work to reduce rabbit numbers in our district’s reserves to help decrease the effects they have on vegetation. Council will be conducting monitoring, night shooting and other control methods during 2024.
To keep members of the public safe during these works, professional contractors on site will ensure control areas are unable to be accessed while shooting is underway. Personnel will be clearly visible at all times and signage will be in place when control works are underway. Residents living near the affected areas will be notified in advance.
To find alternative trails to walk your dog during rabbit shooting operations in your area, check out the interactive map below:
Note: Zoom in on map to see colour coded trails indicating where dogs must be on leash (blue), can be off leash (green) or not allowed (red).
Quick links
Current operations
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A professional contractor will continue rabbit control on the QLDC reserves around Lake Hayes. This will include Lake Hayes Pavilion grounds and adjacent paddock, Lake Hayes Walkway West and Lake Hayes Reserve.
When will work start?
This operation will take place one night a month from Tuesday 3 September 2024 from 8.00pm to 2.00am, weather dependent
Confirmed operation dates
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Tuesday 17 December (Pavilion)
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Tuesday 7 January (West & North)
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Tuesday 28 January (Pavilion)
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Tuesday 4 February (West & North)
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Tuesday 25 February (Pavilion)
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Tuesday 4 March (West & North)
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Tuesday 25 March (Pavilion)
What to expect
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Contractors will be carrying out night shooting within a cordoned off area. Police are aware of this work. Signage and personnel will be at all main entry points to ensure no one can enter the area during the operation.
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Please respect the cordon and DO NOT ENTER when signage and personnel are present.
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Public walking tracks and the Pavilion and Rowing Club carparks will be closed. If members of the public are asked to leave the area for their safety, please do so.
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Please be aware that noise from firearms, which are suppressed, may be heard around the Lake Hayes area.
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Rabbit carcasses will be retrieved and removed where possible.
Area of works
Image: Lake Hayes West and North operational areas.
Image: Lake Hayes Easy operational area.
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A professional contractor will continue rabbit control in Alice Burn Drive and Jackson Rise Reserves in Luggate.
When will work start?
This operation will two to three nights a month from Monday 12 August until the rabbit population becomes manageable on intermittent control (once a month). The work will occur from 8.00pm for an estimated three-four hours on scheduled nights which will be weather dependent. If the operation is cancelled due to bad weather, it will be postponed to the following night of the scheduled shoot date.
Confirmed operation dates
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Tuesday 13 August, Tuesday 20 August and Tuesday 27 August.
- Tuesday 24 September.
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Sunday 6 October and Thursday 24 October.
- Thursday 12 December and Thursday 19 December and Friday 27 December
What to expect
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Contractors will be carrying out night shooting within a cordoned off area. Police are aware of this work. Signage and personnel will be at all main entry points to ensure no one can enter the area during the operation.
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Please respect the cordon and DO NOT ENTER when signage and personnel are present.
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Public walking tracks will be closed. If members of the public are asked to leave the area for their safety, please do so.
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Please be aware that noise from firearms, which are suppressed, may be heard outside the operational area.
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Rabbit carcasses will be retrieved and removed where possible.
Area of works
Image: Luggate operational areas.
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A professional contractor will carry out ongoing rabbit control in Gibbston Community Reserve to further reduce rabbit numbers and their negative impact on residential property and vegetation.
When will work start?
Control will be carried out at night on the last Friday of every month, starting on Friday 25 October and running through until the end of June 2025. These operations will begin at 8.00pm and are expected to take an estimated four hours to compete.
What to expect
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Contractors will carry out the night shooting operation within a cordoned off area. Signage and personnel will be at all main entry points to ensure no one can enter the area during the operation.
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Please respect the cordon and DO NOT ENTER when signage and personnel are present.
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The reserve will be closed when operations are underway. If you are asked to leave the area for safety reasons, please do so.
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Police have been notified of this rabbit control operation.
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Please be aware that noise from firearms, which are suppressed, might be heard outside Gibbston Reserve.
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In the event of wet weather, shooting will take place the following night.
Area of works
Image: Gibbston Reserve operational area.
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A professional contractor will carry out ongoing rabbit control in Shotover Cemetery & Reserve to further reduce rabbit numbers and their negative impact on residential property and vegetation.
When will work start?
Control will be carried out at night on the last Friday of every month, starting on Friday 25 October and running through until the end of June 2025. These operations will begin at 8.00pm and are expected to take an estimated four hours to compete.
What to expect
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Contractors will carry out the night shooting operation within a cordoned off area. Signage and personnel will be at all main entry points to ensure no one can enter the area during the operation.
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Please respect the cordon and DO NOT ENTER when signage and personnel are present.
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The reserve will be closed when operations are underway. If you are asked to leave the area for safety reasons, please do so.
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Police have been notified of this rabbit control operation.
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Please be aware that noise from firearms, which are suppressed, might be heard outside the cemetery and reserve.
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In the event of wet weather, shooting will take place the following night.
Area of works
Image: Shotover Cemetery operational area.
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A professional contractor will carry out a night shooting rabbit operation within the fenced area of the QLDC Lakefront Reserve between Beacon Point and Waimana Place in Wānaka.
When will work start?
Control will take place from 8.00pm on Wednesday 6 November for an estimated three-four hours.
What to expect
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Contractors will carry out the night shooting operation within a cordoned off area. Signage and personnel will be at all main entry points to ensure no one can enter the area during the operation.
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Please respect the cordon and DO NOT ENTER when signage and personnel are present.
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The reserve will be closed when this operation is underway. If you are asked to leave the area for safety reasons, please do so.
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Police have been notified of this rabbit control operation.
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Please be aware that noise from firearms, which are suppressed, might be heard outside the QLDC Lakefront Reserve.
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In the event of wet weather, shooting will take place the following night.
Area of works
Image: Location of works for the rabbit shoot between Beacon Point and Waimana Place.
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Previous operations
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A professional contractor carried out rabbit control in the Shotover Cemetery and adjacent reserve on Monday 30 September 2024.
Area of works
Image: Shotover Cemetery operational area.
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A professional contractor carried out rabbit control in Gibbston Community Reserve on Monday 30 September 2024.
Area of works
Image: Gibbston Reserve operational area.
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A professional contractor carried out rabbit control around the Lake Hayes Walkway East and Lake Hayes Pavilion during July. This work occurred between 8.00pm to 2.00am on Tuesday 2 July, Monday 15 July and Tuesday 30 July.
Rabbit Operation Control Area
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A rabbit control night shooting operation took place at Gibbston Community Reserve on Saturday 8 June (8.00pm-1.00am) to help decrease the effects the rabbit population have on the vegetation in the reserve.
Rabbit Operation Control Area
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A professional contractor carried out rabbit control on the Lake Hayes Walkway between Marshall Avenue and Rutherford Road during May and June. This operation happened between 8.00pm and 2.00am over four nights; Tuesday 7 May, Tuesday 14 May, Tuesday 18 June and Tuesday 25 June 2024.
Rabbit Operation Control Area
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A professional contractor carried out rabbit control Alice Burn Drive and Jackson Rise Reserves in Luggate. This operation happened two to three nights a week from Tuesday 7 May 2024, over seven weeks.
Rabbit Operation Control Area
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A professional contractor carried out rabbit control in the Gibbston Community Reserve off Coal Pit Road, Gibbston
This work commenced on Thursday 2 May 2024 for an estimated three-four hours.
Rabbit Operation Control Area
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A rabbit control night shooting operation took place at Te Kararo Queenstown Gardens on Wednesday 13 March from 9.00pm for an estimated three-four hours. The operation was originally planned for Tuesday 12 March, but was delayed due to poor weather.
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Professional contractors carried out the operation within a cordoned off area and any carcasses were removed. Signage and personnel present at all main entry points to ensure no one could enter the area when shooting was underway. Public walking tracks were closed and members of the public asked to leave the area for their safety. -
A rabbit control night shooting operation took place at Te Kararo Queenstown Gardens on Tuesday 12 December from 9.00pm for an estimated three-four hours.
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Professional contractors carried out the operation within a cordoned off area and any carcasses were removed. Signage and personnel present at all main entry points to ensure no one could enter the area when shooting was underway. Public walking tracks were closed and members of the public asked to leave the area for their safety. -
A rabbit control night shooting operation took place at Te Kararo Queenstown Gardens on Wednesday 29 November from 9.00pm for an estimated three-four hours.
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Professional contractors carried out the operation within a cordoned off area and any carcasses were removed. Signage and personnel present at all main entry points to ensure no one could enter the area when shooting was underway. Public walking tracks were closed and members of the public asked to leave the area for their safety. -
It was identified that the rabbit population in and around reserves at the old oxidation ponds on Ballantyne Road was posing a nuisance to neighbours and users of Council-owned reserves, damaging property and eating vegetation and plantings.
QLDC carried out control work to reduce rabbit numbers in these reserves.
Operation area
Methods of control
QLDC used professional contractors and made every effort to ensure members of the public couldn't access areas where shooting was underway. Shooting took place between the hours of 9.00pm to 2.00am.
All direct neighbours were notified of night shooting by our contractor.
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