A report to the council’s environmental implementation committee this week said further analysis was being done to confirm the results, but it appeared rabbit inspections were working to combat rabbit infestations.
Upon reinspection, Otago properties found to be non-compliant had dropped on average "one level" in the Modified McLean Scale, a measure used to assess rabbit densities.
"Provisional analysis of paired data from 131 non-compliant properties shows that, based on the median, there is a decrease of one level in the Modified McLean Scale [MMS] between first and re-inspections", the report said.
"Given the MMS is an eight-point scale, the change of one level is statistically significant and suggests inspections, overall, have a positive effect.
"Further analysis is being undertaken to confirm this outcome."
The report, the council’s Biosecurity Operational Plan Annual Report 2023-24, outlined the council’s biosecurity work for the past financial year.
Of the council’s 63 key performance indicators (KPIs) 47, or 74.6%, were fully achieved or exceeded, it said.
Another 10 KPIs, 15.9%, were partially achieved, two were not achieved, and four KPIs were reported as "not measurable" as the required event did not happen.
The report cautioned that the KPIs across the past four reporting periods had changed, but it said there had been improvement from 29.9% achieved in 2020-21 to 74.6% achieved last year.
It said more than 650 rabbit inspections were completed over the last year and 52.2% were compliant.
During the last year, there were 467 rabbit inspections completed in "non-community programme areas" where a target of at least 250 rabbit inspections was in place.
Further to that, 192 inspections were completed in community rabbit programme areas, which the council has previously identified as Queensberry, Lake Hayes, Gibbston, Otago Peninsula and Moeraki.
"Overall, 52.2% of inspections were compliant with 47.8% being non-compliant", the staff report said.
"In comparison, 57.6% were compliant and 42.4% non-compliant in the previous year."
However, here too the report cautioned against comparisons.
"Properties inspected cover a range of areas with each having an underlying proneness to rabbit infestation.
"In turn, the actual prevalence of rabbits in any specific area will vary based on control, virus activity and ecological factors.
"Consequently, the baseline prevalence for areas inspected this year is likely to vary from areas inspected in the previous year."
The report also noted 2,129 "non-rabbit pest inspections and monitoring visits" were completed last year exceeding the council target of 1500. That total consisted of 285 formal inspections and 1,844 monitoring visits, the report said.
The council also issued 24 notices of direction to non-compliant properties, the report said.
