Title: NSW State Government’s war on weeds continues
[NSW DPI 22 Oct 2010] -- Primary Industries Minister, Steve Whan, today announced the roll-out of the NSW Government’s $8.7 million approach to reducing the impact of weeds under the NSW Weeds Action program. The NSW Weeds Action Program is the NSW Government initiative to provide a more strategic and co-ordinated approach to weed management as part of the NSW Invasive Species Plan.
“Weeds are the second biggest threat to biodiversity in Australia, second only to land clearing,” Mr Whan said.
“There are more than 100 weed species threatening more than 400 plant and animal species in NSW,” he said.
“The NSW Government is committed to helping local communities and farmers fight invasive weeds, by investing in co-ordinated projects including: • $445,000 on the South Coast to educate the community on weeds and control weed species such as fireweed, • $818,130 in Sydney to support 39 local councils and Catchment Management Authorities to target weeds in the city, and • more than $1,000,000 in the Cabonne region, in the State’s Central West to target large infestations of weeds such as Blackberry and St John's Wort
“More than half of Australia’s weeds started out as garden plants, and most new weed incursions are the result of human action or inaction. Weeds make food production more expensive, threaten the survival of native plants and animals and can cause asthma and allergies and choke our waterways.”
A total of 19 applications, involving 264 organisations across NSW, were received for funding under the NSW Weeds Action program in 2010. The funding is for projects to be managed over the next five years and includes facilitating regional partnerships with other organisations including Catchment Management Authorities, Livestock Health and Pest Authorities and other Government agencies.
“The funding has been allocated at a grass roots level to a number of local council groups and weeds advisory committees because they know best which weeds need to be targeted in their own areas,” Mr Whan said.
“Allocations will also be used for a number of statewide projects to address key issues such as new weed incursions, support education, extension services and regional management of weeds like serrated tussock, parthenium, and aquatic weeds such as salvinia and cabomba. Recent heavy and prolonged rainfall across much of the State means local authorities are going to have to really get stuck into weed control and management this spring and summer, to prevent an explosion of these noxious plants.”