Title: 2000 Victorian volunteers now searching for weeds
[By Catherine McInerney, Weed Spotter Coordinator, Geelong, 4 September 2009] The Brumby Government’s Weed Spotter program now has over 2000 volunteers working together to minimise the threat of invasive weeds right across Victoria. Agriculture Minister Joe Helper said weed invasion was a significant threat to Victoria through lost agricultural production, control costs, environmental and social impacts. “The Brumby Labor Government is taking action now to prevent and eradicate new high-risk invasive plants from becoming established in Victoria,” Mr Helper said.
Weed Spotter at a training session
“Weed Spotters are invaluable assets to the community as they look out for and report new high-risk invasive plants known as State prohibited weeds and Victorian alert weeds. “I congratulate all the volunteers who are currently involved with the Weed Spotter program for their diligence in reporting suspected weed species. “Without the assistance of these volunteers we would not be aware of new infestations of serious invasive plants such as Mexican feather grass and Water hyacinth. “We appreciate the time and efforts contributed by these Weed Spotters across Victoria.”
Mr Helper said Weed Spotters look for State prohibited weeds and Victorian alert weeds in a wide variety of environments including home gardens, rivers, creeks, wetlands, along roadsides and in public parks, cemeteries, urban fringes, rubbish dumps, bushland and farmland. “New high-risk invasive plants have also been found for sale in nurseries, garden centres, markets, catalogues or even on the internet,” he said. “These species are at risk of inadvertently escaping from urban areas by ‘jumping the garden fence’ and potentially could be found growing or being traded anywhere.”
If you suspect you have found one of the above species please contact the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Customer Service Centre on 136 186.
