Title: No love for lovegrass as graziers lose land
[ABC News by Jackson Vernon Jan 29. 2010] North Burnett graziers say the spread of the noxious African lovegrass weed is crippling production in the region. North Burnett grazier Ian Lautitt says he has lost nearly half his Glenleigh property to the African lovegrass. Mr Lautitt says the situation is so dire, he has been forced to surrender half his land to the weed.
"I've lost about a good 400 acres plus lightly through another couple of paddocks, another 150 acres" he said. Mr Lautitt says he is at a loss because poisons to prevent the spread are expensive and ineffective. "Forty acres... cost me $3,500," he said. "It got a kill, but it wasn't a complete kill. I'm not getting any economical benefit from the paddock at all.
" Lovegrass Action group spokesman Terry Haupt says he is working with the North Burnett Council to have the grass declared a pest weed. "If we can get a local declaration under local law we can stabilise the law and the methods of control and we can implement more education programs," he said. The action group says containing the spread is a top priority for the council.