A lack of support for rabbit poisoning, especially from lifestyle block owners, is jeopardising the success of pest control operations in Otago.
A problem is emerging with ''toxin averse'' lifestyle block owners, especially those who had properties which backed on to farmland, and who lacked an understanding of rabbit problems, Otago Regional Council regional services director Jeff Donaldson said.
''Some try to restrict the use of toxin on larger neighbouring blocks, so a lot more consultation is required to get people on board and to understand the problem.''
In one case, 2000ha required rabbit control involving 50 landowners, but not all were keen, he said.
''But once rabbits get past the Modified Maclean Scale of 5 (MAL 5) the only option is to poison.''
If anyone whose land was in the middle of the area to be poisoned pulled out it affected the overall outcome, he said.
''Unless you are controlling to good boundaries, you struggle to achieve an awful lot. Many breeding areas have reinfested really quickly.''
Mr Donaldson said the warm winter meant a short 1080 baiting season with only 6500ha of the 10,000ha in need of control able to be successfully poisoned.
''If it warms up you can't get rabbits on to the bait. There is still a lot more that needs to be done but we didn't get the support.''
Rabbits had continued to breed throughout winter, meaning those born during winter would be ready to breed themselves by Christmas. Without rain to drown them in their nests, there was likely to be a large increase in rabbit numbers by January.
''Numbers are well and truly on the increase throughout most of the region and especially in the Upper Clutha, Tarras, Wanaka and Cromwell areas.''
The council was working with subdivision developers to encourage them to install rabbit-proof fences around their developments, he said.
Landowners of all types needed to seriously assess their rabbit problem and look at doing secondary control, including gun and dog, night shooting and small patch poisoning with Pindone.
''More work needs to be done, especially if a property is at MAL 5 already. If they don't, we'll end up with a bigger problem - they're breeding that well.''
Lifestyleblock.co.nz spokeswoman Kate Brennan said rabbits were as much a pest to lifestyle block owners, especially those with horses, as they were to anyone else.
There were many views about 1080 and some might not have the farming background to fully understand control methods, but she was surprised to hear of lifestylers being reluctant to take part in pest-control operations.
Council compliance staff were about to start inspecting Otago properties for compliance with the council's pest management strategy, which required property owners to keep rabbits below MAL 3.
Rabbiter Ray Moffat, of Cromwell, said he had been working on properties in the valley between Cromwell and Tarras, and believed the wet spring had delayed breeding in that area by about six weeks.
