By CASEY NEILL
EASTER brought some unwanted attention to hundreds of bunnies in Keysborough.
Melbourne Water conducted rabbit baiting in a drain beside 402 Corrigan Road during the recent school holidays.
In February, the Journal reported that the site’s users had battled against the vermin in plague proportions for the past five years, and that most seemed to emerge from a neighbouring drain.
Melbourne Water maintenance team leader David Leggo said evidence so far showed the baiting plus actions at Resurrection Primary School had resulted in rabbits moving from the site.
“We will inspect our drain again in a fortnight to see if the rabbit prevention measures are still effective,” he said.
“We will continue to check in with the school, and will assist with any further rabbit control issues.”
Melbourne Water has scheduled another rabbit management program for the site in late June, during the school holidays, and will continue to monitor the site into spring when rabbits are most likely to re-emerge.
School principal Steve Bellesini said there seemed to be fewer rabbits around, and newly-planted grass remained intact.
“What we’ve done, with our fenceline, we’ve put some wire along the fenceline. Eventually we’re going to get our working bee to continue all the way down,” he said.
Keysborough Learning Centre (KLC) general manager Neil Cooper said foxes, attracted by the rabbits, remained and he’d hired a company to set traps.
“I’ve got students, I’ve got elderly and I’ve got disabled,” he said.
“We have seen the foxes out there during the day a couple of times.
“We do know that they’re there.”
There’s also occasional childcare centre Freedom Club and units for the elderly on the site.
