TACKLING weeds is everyone’s responsibility.
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That’s the message that Hunter Regional Weeds Committee Chair Daryl Dutton is sending to landholders after Hunter Local Land Services today announced an extra $500,000 in funding to tackle the problem.
“Everyone has a responsibility to meet their biosecurity obligations and weed management is a crucial part of general biosecurity duty,” Mr Dutton said.
Hunter Local Land Services is working with local government and public land managers across the region to tackle problem weeds over the next five years.
The Hunter Regional Weeds Committee has now implemented The Hunter Regional Strategic Weed Management Plan to support landholders address the economic and environmental impacts of weeds.
“This plan will enable the community and industry in the Hunter to respond to future weed challenges and help develop a strong, biosecurity-aware culture,” Mr Dutton said.
The plan outlines how government, the community and industry will work together to identify, minimise and manage high risk invasive weeds, across tenure.
The emphasis is on preventing new weeds from entering the region and eradicating, containing and managing the spread of existing weeds.
“We will support landholders to manage the weeds they have with the best information we can provide, but we must prioritise preventing new weeds from taking hold in our region,” said Mr Dutton.
Hunter Local Land Services has allocated an additional $200,000 for strategic weed eradication projects and programs targeting weeds that affect agricultural production.
Hunter Local Land Services has also allocated $296,000 for programs targeting weeds, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program, Catchment Action NSW and Hunter Catchment Contributions.
This extra investment is on top of the $1.2 million Weed Action program funding from the NSW government.
“It is far more economical to prevent new weeds coming in than to try to get rid of every weed we have.
“For example we want to prevent Chilean needle grass and Serrated tussock from establishing in the region, so they are Regional Priorities for Prevention.”