Pest and feral animals degrade our natural resources, damage precious remnant vegetation, compromise biodiversity and interfere with human health and recreation.
If you are experiencing a pest or feral animal issue on your property, it is important that you take steps to resolve the issue yourself. Ipswich City Council’s role in relation to pest and feral animals is limited to matters on Council owned land as well as assessing and regulating when an issue is, or becomes, a public health concern.
The following animals have been declared by the State Government as pest animals:
For more information and toolkits on these pest animals see PestSmart Connect’s Pest Portal or the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
If you have taken responsible steps to resolve the issue yourself and have not been successful, you can contact Council who can discuss with you and provide further advice.
Ants, spiders, wasps and termites
If you are having an issue at your property with any of these pests, contact a licensed Pest Control service who may be able to assist.
Fire Ants
Fire ants are one of the world’s most invasive species. When disturbed, they can become very aggressive and agitated. If you have been bitten by fire ants, seek medical attention immediately. For control, treatment and management of fire ants, see Queensland Government or phone 13 25 23.
Rabbits
It is illegal to keep rabbits in Queensland. For more information visit the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. To report wild rabbit activity in your area, visit the Darling Downs-Moreton Rabbit Board.
If you are experiencing a rat/mouse issue on your property, contact a licensed pest control service.
It is an offence to allow your property to shelter rats and mice due to overgrown vegetation or accumulation of rubbish. Clean up costs and penalties may apply if you do not maintain your property to prevent these vermin.
Preventing a rat or mouse infestation
Rodent-proof your house
Some mosquitoes in and around your house can cause diseases such as Ross River Virus, Barmah Forest Virus and possibly Dengue Fever. It is the property owners’ responsibility to prevent mosquitoes from breeding on their property.
Reduce your property risk
The best way to ensure mosquitoes do not breed in your backyard is:
Check the following five breeding hotspots weekly:
Ponding water
Pools of still and shallow water attract mosquitoes wishing to breed. Fill them with soil or sand and plant over with grass or plants. Other areas where water can pool include bird baths, wading pools, boats and dinghies, flower vases, unstocked fish ponds and water holding plants (e.g bromeliaeds and staghorns). Check these regularly to ensure water is not pooling or mosquitoes are not breeding.
Pot plant bases
The shallow warmed water in pot plant bases is ideal for breeding – a pot plant base can support up to 150 mosquito larvae. Place sand in bases if possible to absorb extra moisture or empty bases regularly, wiping out to remove mosquito eggs.
Blocked roof guttering
Clogged or unmaintained guttering prevents rainwater escaping. Keep tree branches away from gutters and check gutters for leaves and obstructions regularly.
Tyres
Disused tyres can hold water and provide an ideal warm site for breeding. Dispose of old tyres appropriately or store undercover. Drill holes in tyres used as children’s swings to allow water to drain.
Collections of rubbish
Collections of rubbish can hold small pools of water that mosquitoes can breed in. Dispose of all rubbish either in your refuse bin or visit one of Council’s Refuse and Recycle Centres. Store items you are keeping undercover and ensure drums and containers capable of holding water are kept upside down.
For more information about how to control mosquitos, download the factsheet.
Council does not offer any services to manage or remove pest animals from a private property unless it is, or becomes, a public health concern or risk to neighbours and Ipswich residents (e.g rat infestation due to an overgrown property). Council also manage pest and feral animal matters on Council owned land.
Discuss with your neighbour
If you believe your pest issue may be related to activity on a neighbour’s property, it is best to speak to them first. People are sometimes unaware that their activities are causing an issue. Ipswich City Council encourages all residents and businesses to talk to their neighbours first about nuisances and issues and only make a complaint to Council if the issue remains unresolved.
Contact Council
If you are aware of a pest or feral animal issue on Council owned land or believe an issue may have a public health risk, you can make a request to Council to investigate by following the steps below:
1.Have the following information ready:
2.Contact Council by one of the methods below:
Please note: Council keeps complete and comprehensive records in the event that legal action is taken. All parties including the complainant and other witnesses may be asked to attend court to provide evidence. Personal information is only given out when it is directed by law that we do so.
1. Council sends out a letter and fact sheet to the address of the alleged offender advising them of the issue.
2.If Council is then advised that the issue has continued we will investigate further.
3.Council will initially attend the property causing the issue and determine if a pest issue is detectable or the cause is evident.
The Biosecurity Act 2014 (the Act) ensures a consistent, modern, risk-based and less prescriptive approach to biosecurity in Queensland.
City of Ipswich Biosecurity Plan 2018-2023
The Ipswich Biosecurity Plan prioritises invasive species management based on inherent risk.
Within our plan, the prioritisation has been aggregated into four management strategies which provide residents with guidance on how to discharge their General Biosecurity Obligation (GBO) and collectively work to lessen the impacts of invasive species in the Ipswich local government area (LGA).
The purpose of the Biosecurity Plan is to improve invasive pest management within the Ipswich LGA by:
City of Ipswich Biosecurity Plan 2018-2023
The General Biosecurity Obligation (GBO)
All Queenslanders have a General Biosecurity Obligation (GBO) under the Act. Everyone is responsible for managing biosecurity risks that are under their control or that they know about, or should reasonably be expected to know about.
Under the GBO, individuals and organisations whose activities pose a biosecurity risk must:
View more information about your GBO for the more common invasive pest plants and animals in Ipswich, with one of our fact sheets.