WITH rabbits costing the Australian economy more than $600 million each year, a new Korean-built virus is set to boost the fight against rabbits in Queensland.

The new version of the rabbit calicivirus has been extensively tested, including by the Darling Downs Moreton Rabbit Board and Queensland Biosecurity.

DDRMB chairman and councillor Ross Bartley said the strain should be released later this year.

"We anticipate the release in this area around August, as it works better in the cooler months," he said.

"We aren't expecting results as big as the first virus, but it has been found to work on some rabbits immune to the original one.

"There will be some mopping up needed afterwards, as it depends on their breeding cycle and the viruses will always miss some rabbits.

"Anything that takes pressure off the fence is very important."

Cr Bartley said the virus was most effective in heavily infested areas.

"We use Fulcrum, which is a hotspot mapping program to identify intense hotspots - they are ideal places to release the virus," he said.

Cr Bartley said the virus was another tool the rabbit board could use in the fight to better protect the agricultural industry.

"We need to be forward-thinking to see if we need a better one in the future as we have to be mindful they may build immunity," he said.

"The one thing we don't want is rabbits. We do not want them here.

"We have just renewed about 13km of the fence in Elbow Valley, which is the biggest renewal in 50 years."

Cr Bartley said both urban and rural landholders had a duty to control rabbits under the Pest Management Act.

"If someone thinks they've seen rabbits, we are happy to have a look and help them.

"People are generally co-operative and want to get rid of them because they can do a lot of damage.

"We have a dedicated team that I can't speak highly enough of."