The Otago Regional Council has carried out inspections of about 14,000ha around the region, including 6700ha in the Queensberry area near Wanaka.
Added to that, a 1400ha property in the area had not undertaken any rabbit control in 18 months and exceeded the acceptable level three on the Modified Maclean Scale (Mal) under the council's pest management strategy.
Council regional services director Jeff Donaldson said poison would be laid on that land this winter, under a notice of direction, and the council would recover the cost from the property's owner.
As well, 50 of 70 properties in a subdivision in the Queensberry area have rabbit numbers higher than Mal 3. Some landowners in the subdivision were concerned about the problem and were encouraging others to ''come on board'', which was essential if any work was to be successful, he said.
''We have to make sure we don't leave any residue population when we don't have good boundary control between them.''
That was why it was important for those landowners to keep their rabbit-proof fencing in good condition.
''Some of the smaller owners are trying to do a good job.''
The rabbit problem was more acute this summer due to the dry conditions, so more work would have to be done this winter to control numbers, he said.
''We're hoping for a long winter to give us time to do that.''
If any landowners who had promised to do work to reduce numbers this winter pulled out, they would be issued with a notice of direction, he said.
If numbers were higher, landowners were expected to provide the council with a management plan outlining how they would reduce these.
Environmental services manager Martin King said the council had recently finished auditing 52 approved property plans, finding that most had adhered to their control plans. Six notices of direction had been issued to landowners who had failed to submit a plan or were required to put a plan in place within two months. The problem properties were in Central Otago.
The notices had been issued as a result of follow-up inspections which confirmed rabbit populations varied between Mal 5 and 7. Regional services director Jeff Donaldson said it was ''highly likely'' at least two of the properties under a notice of direction would default. In that situation, the regional council would go ahead and do the work and then bill the landowner for it.
