Unwanted pests help stimulate regional economy
The district councils of Karoonda East Murray and Southern Mallee have received more than one million dollars in funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to manage high priority pests under the Southern Murray Mallee weed and pest management project.
Posted 20 October 2020.
The Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board is a delivery partner on the project with Senior District Officer Russell Norman appointed to oversee the on-ground works for the project.
Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board Chair Dianne Davidson AM said this project will help landholders to decrease the significant damaging impact that pest plant and animals have on agriculture, productivity, the natural environment and the knock-on effects which are made especially harder during the dry conditions.
“Effective control of pest plant and animals is the key to reducing their impacts,” Ms Davidson said.
The project will determine the priority areas across the councils’ regions for the management of pest plant and animals and will coordinate local contractors to carry out the on-ground works.
“Employing experienced contractors who live in the region is an important part of this project, they know the area and this will help to stimulate the local economy and support local employment,” Ms Davidson said.
“The impacts of the dry conditions haven’t gone away because we have received some rain, this project will provide some relief to landholders by taking on what can be an onerous and costly task of managing pest plant and animals, especially on roadsides.
“This project will support local drought-hit communities and landholders in their battle to control pest plant and animals, at a time when they are least able to do so,” Ms Davidson said.
The project will run for 18 months and aims to deliver:
- more than 2000 hours of weed control
- management of 1000 rabbit warrens
- fox and rabbit bait rebates for landholders to encourage baiting and to help reduce the cost of baiting
- fund equipment that will be available for loan to landholders including; rabbit ripper and oat bait layer
- help coordinate landowner baiting to coincide with planned ripping activities
- liaise with landowners in relation to potential work conducted on private property.
The project is being overseen by a steering group with representation from Karoonda East Murray and Southern Mallee District Councils, and the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board.
This project is supported by the Karoonda East Murray and Southern Mallee District Councils, and delivered in partnership with the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board through funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
For more information or assistance with pest plant and animal issues, please contact the local Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board office at Murray Bridge phone: 8532 9100.
