About

Originally introduced into the Australian wild to be hunted in the late 1850s, the European rabbit population wasted no time contributing to the degeneration of native flora and fauna. Since being introduced, they spread quickly and became known as the fastest known invasion by a mammal in the world. Rabbits began causing a trail of devastation through crops and land which contributed to the significant decline of native animal populations and plants by overgrazing.

In 1930, all existing rabbit boards were abolished except three—the Leichhardt, Darling Downs and Moreton. In 1963, the Leichhardt Rabbit Board closed and the Darling Downs Rabbit Board took over 80 km of the fence, extending it west of Chinchilla. The following year, the Darling Downs Rabbit Board and the Moreton Rabbit Board merged to become the Darling Downs-Moreton Rabbit Board (DDMRB).

DDMRB provides technical support and other advice to landholders in our operational area to assist with rabbit control.

Covering 8 local government areas, and spanning approximately 28,000 square kilometers, DDMRB employs 15 staff that are situated at various locations across our operational area.

The rabbit barrier fence is 555km long and protects roughly 28,000km2 of Southern Queensland. The fence is patrolled and maintained in its entirety on a weekly basis by our dedicated team of staff.

Although patrols are now undertaken with 4WD vehicles and all-terrain vehicles, parts of some patrols must still be done on foot, due to the rugged nature of the terrain.