It’s a dream lifestyle in a dream location, but owning property in Central Otago often comes with an expanding family of unwanted guests. Should real estate agents be telling prospective buyers about the rabbit problem?
World famous for its breathtaking landscape, skifields, wineries and pristine lakes, Central Otago is also fast becoming notorious for its pest population.
And those buying into the lifestyle dream need to be aware of what they are taking on, according to long-time real estate agent, Edwin Lewis.
The fact the costly, destructive and incredibly persistent pests accompany most purchases is proving a rude shock to many newcomers throughout the region.
Buyers often have scant knowledge they will soon have to start writing fat cheques to fencers and pest controllers. Many on the front line agree more education is urgently needed.
Real estate companies doing nicely from the property boom are unwittingly finding themselves at the front line of what has become a pest-explosion perfect storm.
The area's pest authority, the Otago Regional Council, disestablished its business unit and rabbit control teams in 2015, putting full responsibly for getting the work done in the hands of landowners. This coincided with the lifestyle block revolution – the rapid chopping down of farms into small chunks meant there were suddenly a lot more of those landowners for the council to deal with.
The presence of people and pets at the same time limited the range of rabbit-killing methods independent contractors could employ.
With little previous need for their services, contractors were thin on the ground and shorter, warmer winters further reduced the chances for effective poisoning programmes. The Central Otago rabbits turned out to much prefer eating lawns and exotic plants to regular pasture.
Rabbit Pandemic Zone
Lewis, a senior agent for Property Brokers Ltd believes the 150-year-old rabbit problem is now becoming a plague in Central Otago, with most subdivisions currently on the market showing significant visual evidence of rabbit activity.
As the damage is plain to see, companies are not obliged to disclose it to buyers.
"In short, when you purchase any land in Central Otago you accept that you are entering a ‘Rabbit Pandemic Zone’. A few determined new entrants into the lifestyle segment have been successful in stopping rabbit encroachment onto their lots but they are in the minority.”
The Cromwell-based agent says the responsibility for the control of everyone’s rabbits lies with the Otago Regional Council.
“There is barely a farming operation in Central Otago that is not affected by rabbits. When farms get subdivided and become lifestyle blocks the problem doesn’t go away.”
Urban education
PGG Wrightson’s Alexandra agent Shaun O’Docherty said more education was definitely needed for people coming in from urban areas.
“I think most people do understand the problem but perhaps not how to manage it. There needs to be education but I’m not sure who should provide it.”
While Newsroom is aware of incidents where properties have been ticked off as pest free, there are no specific questions about rabbits in the disclosure forms for buyers in PGG Wrightsons’ paperwork.
Forms did not mention rabbits as they were generic for use throughout New Zealand, O’Docherty said, and there was also no “compulsion” for agents to discuss rabbits.
However advice was often given, particularly around fencing, as developers did not rabbit-fence blocks pre-sale because it was “just another cost”.
The issue was becoming more urban in Central from his own observations, with the pests often seen hopping up the main street of Clyde and carpeting the lawn at Dunstan Hospital with droppings.
In Cromwell, Harcourt’s agent Alister Stuart said agents always mentioned rabbits and gave advice if it was clear they were present on a property.
“If rabbits were present I would be explaining how much damage they can do and how quickly they breed, also the importance of rabbit proofing all boundary fencing, then dealing with all rabbits inside their property.”
He said the company mainly dealt with smaller blocks and there had never been an infestation bad enough to warrant highlighting it in the sales documents.
From Auckland to Alexandra
Over in Chatto Creek, city-slicker Fiona Sutherland is embarking on her Central Otago adventure with husband Grant.
Before she arrived from Auckland to take up residence at the charming local pub, she thought rabbits were cute. She doesn’t anymore.
“When we first arrived in Central Otago if I saw a rabbit I’d think of it as just a little bunny. Now I support the total massacre of every rabbit around here. I’m still an animal lover but if you want to kill a rabbit, come on down.”
There had been a lot to think about when the couple made a life-changing post-lockdown decision to get out of Auckland and buy the historic pub last November.
The three-acre plot sits in a rabbit-prone area between Omakau and Alexandra.
If you’re in the know, the damage is clearly evident underfoot – holes, a scattered carpet of droppings, grass chewed down to the dirt.
To the untrained eye, however, it could easily be overlooked especially during the few, short daytime viewings most wide-eyed prospective buyers are allotted.
“I don’t remember anyone mentioning rabbits when we looked at the place. They might've, but it was all a bit of a blur and nothing registered. And of course I had no understanding of the rabbit problem. If you don’t grow up knowing they are pests then you just don’t understand. If we had a swarm of rats here things would have been different. It’s just people’s perceptions.”
It wasn’t until it was a done deal and Fiona was chatting to the locals about planting a veggie garden that it began to sink in.
“The locals said don’t bother doing that. They said you’ll need to rabbit fence the place first.”
The quote to add rabbit-proof netting to the existing fencing came back at around $4000 – an unbudgeted item now on the to-do list for when funds allow.
“For us we’re not reliant on the land for our business and this is small, not even a lifestyle block. Others are much worse off. I really think everyone has a responsibility to do something.”
