The ACT government is set to tackle the plague of rabbits on City Hill.
From next week, gas and air gun pellets will be used to try to bring the population in the centre of Canberra down. The operation starting on Monday is expected to last for at least 10 days.
"The ACT government undertakes rabbit control to protect the ACT's environment values, primary production and urban landscapes," the government's manager for City Presentation, Daniel Iglesias, said.
He said that rabbits were an officially designated "pest". Control operations were "designed to maintain rabbit populations below a density where they can cause significant harm to the environment or to other assets".
They have damaged the pine trees on City Hill.
The official said the rabbits were also a hazard to drivers who sometimes swerved to avoid them.
Rabbit control will be mostly done at night when the area is generally not in public use. A formal closure of the area was not deemed necessary.
"A range of control techniques will be utilised on City Hill including fumigation, shooting pellets by air rifle and destruction of rabbit warrens," the government said.
"The operations will be undertaken by a qualified, certified contractor who is experienced in rabbit control in publicly accessible urban areas," Mr Iglesias said.
"Follow-up assessments will be undertaken after the initial operations are completed in December, 2023. These will help to determine the effectiveness of the control program and determine whether any follow up action is required in the short term or in future."
