But responsibility for some leaning headstones at the cemetery is still to be determined, as the Central Otago District Council (CODC) seeks descendants of those buried in some historic graves there.
A Central Otago resident, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted the Otago Daily Times last month about her concerns the council - which is responsible for maintaining the Clyde cemetery - was not doing enough to to fill in rabbit holes and protect graves at the cemetery.
She had contacted the council several weeks before that, concerned that recent heavy rain was worsening the holes to the point that some gravesites were being threatened. Some old gravesites, in particular, had massive rabbit holes going into them, and the headstone on one was leaning. She was worried the stone would fall over and break.
The woman said a council staff member had told her the council would look at the issue and respond to her but she had not heard anything back after several weeks, and when the Otago Daily Times visited the cemetery on February 22 there were many large rabbit holes going into graves, some about 15cm in diameter.
CODC parks and recreation manager Mathew Begg said at the time a council contractor was going to inspect the cemetery that week, and "liaise with council on a plan for ongoing control". He said the Clyde cemetery had already been "on our [council's] list" for the rabbit control before the woman had contacted council.
When contacted again on Tuesday morning this week, Mr Begg said a pest control contractor had been on site and "provided comments back to council on potential rabbit control". Rabbit control had been carried out "this week, with the holes being filled".
When asked if the work had only been done after the media query, he said: "The pest control work was completed this morning including filling the holes. This work had been booked in since last week".
Mr Begg said rabbit control work would now be "routinely undertaken at Clyde" as part of council work at the cemetery.
He said the leaning headstone had been assessed by the council contractor, who had provided a plan to clear the foundations and reinstate the headstone.
Council was still researching family connections associated with the headstone to inform them of the work, but council was going to get the work completed for safety reasons.
Headstones were owned by families and were generally the responsibility of family descendants, Mr Begg said.
Older headstones were observed by council for potential safety risk. Family descendants were contacted if possible, otherwise council would "look at action to reduce this risk", he said.
"Council will make safe any dangerous headstone by laying it on the ground or ensuring it will not fall over, and contacting family wherever possible. Currently council does not undertake the tidying or renovation of old headstones and gravesites, even those that may not have any family interests remaining."
