Where to from here? Buffel grass forum maps priority actions for invasive threat

News article | 29 October 2026

It can be done…South Australia still has an opportunity to prevent buffel grass becoming an irreversible statewide problem - but it needs to ramp up now.

Where to from here? Buffel grass forum maps priority actions for invasive threat

That was the message coming out of an intensive two-day buffel grass forum held in Port Augusta last month.

The all-in multi-state, multi-sector, multi-stakeholder forum affectionately called BuffelpalooSA 2026, brought together a tremendous amount of data and views, but one was clear across the participants.

Preventing buffel grass from reaching a point where management becomes prohibitively difficult will require coordinated action, strong partnerships, sustained investment and a shared commitment to protecting South Australia's environmental, cultural and productive landscape values.

Who was in the room was an essential part of the success of the fast-paced sessions which generated a set of clear messages that will now be fed into submissions and enquiries into buffel grass management.

It was good to see researchers, government agencies, Traditional Owners, industry representatives, landscape boards, farming groups and community organisations working together to identify the science, governance and actions needed to address the spread of buffel grass.

This challenge is particularly complex because while some pastoralists in arid regions use buffel grass as a hardy and dependable feed source, many others are concerned about its relentless spread into productive cropping land and conservation areas. Left unchecked, buffel grass can outcompete both agricultural and native species, reducing productivity in farming systems, increasing fire frequency and intensity, and causing significant and potentially irreversible damage to the biodiversity, ecological integrity and cultural values of iconic landscapes such as the Flinders Ranges.

Participants were strongly aligned on a central message: buffel grass is more than a weed issue. It is a landscape-scale challenge affecting biodiversity, cultural values, fire regimes, infrastructure, and long-term land management.

The pathway to success is clear: prevent spread, protect priority assets, improve coordination, strengthen knowledge and secure long-term funding.

By 2035, participants envisaged a statewide, well-funded and collaborative program that protects South Australia's biodiversity, cultural values, productive landscapes and communities from the impacts of buffel grass.

At a glance

There was a huge amount of information generated over the two days. Here is a quick snapshot of some of the headline items:

Theme	What we know	Priority actions	Success by 2035
Prevention and containment	Early intervention and protecting buffel-free areas delivers the greatest return on investment. Roads, rail corridors, machinery and transport networks remain the primary pathways for spread.	Strengthen weed hygiene, establish wash-down infrastructure, standardise hygiene protocols, and focus surveillance on transport corridors and emerging infestations.	Buffel spread is significantly reduced through consistent statewide prevention programs and strong hygiene practices across all sectors.
Protecting priority assets	High-value landscapes such as the Southern Flinders Ranges, Gawler Ranges, APY Lands, Yorke Peninsula coastal systems and Murraylands conservation reserves remain vulnerable and require prioritisation.	Coordinate landscape-scale management across tenures and direct resources toward protecting high-value environmental, cultural and agricultural assets.	Priority ecosystems, culturally significant landscapes and productive agricultural areas are protected from further invasion and degradation.
Management and restoration	One-off treatments rarely succeed. Effective management requires ongoing control, monitoring, restoration and long-term commitment.	Invest in sustained control programs, follow-up treatment, restoration activities and regional delivery capacity.	Long-term management programs deliver measurable reductions in buffel grass impacts and improved landscape resilience.
Governance and coordination	Fragmented approaches limit effectiveness. There is strong multi-sector support for improved statewide coordination and shared responsibility.	A dedicated State Buffel Grass Coordinator is essential. Maintain a strategic Steering Committee and operational Taskforce (with clarified roles and responsibilities).	Strong statewide leadership, coordinated decision-making and effective partnerships exist across government, Traditional Owners, industry and community sectors.
Funding and resourcing	Long-term funding was identified as the single most important enabler of success.	Secure ongoing investment beyond short-term grant cycles. Fund coordination, surveillance, research and on-ground management.	Stable, long-term funding supports coordinated statewide action and sustained management outcomes.
Knowledge, mapping and monitoring	Improved mapping, monitoring and data sharing are critical for prioritisation and strategic decision-making. Climate modelling indicates buffel habitat is likely to expand under future conditions.	Develop statewide mapping standards, shared databases, monitoring systems and improved surveillance programs.	Shared mapping, monitoring and reporting systems support evidence-based decision-making and early detection of new threats.
Research and innovation	Buffel grass is an ecosystem-transforming species that alters fire regimes, reduces biodiversity and impacts cultural values. New control approaches and improved understanding are still required.	Coordinate research, investigate improved control methods, support innovation and evaluate management effectiveness.	Research continuously improves management effectiveness, supports adaptive decision-making and strengthens landscape protection outcomes.
Partnerships and shared responsibility	Effective management requires collaboration across government, Traditional Owners, industry, researchers, community groups and landholders.	Strengthen partnerships, improve stakeholder engagement and build shared ownership of the issue.	Buffel grass management is recognised as a shared responsibility with strong participation across sectors and jurisdictions.