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Information Exchange for Municipalities in the Shepparton Irrigation Region MunicipalMunicipal InfexInfex INSIDE THIS June 2006 Edition 21 ISSUE •Roadside Weeds Cntd. 2 •Call for Local Noxious Weed Nominations •Getting to Know You 3 •URL Winds Up •Trees vs. Water Yield 4 •New Approach to Native Vegetation - Municipalities in the Shepparton Irrigation amendments to clearly assign responsibility Making Progress Region have acted to clear up confusion for roadside weeds to the Department of •If It’s Broken - Fix It! 5 about local government’s responsibility for Sustainability & Environment. Failing that, it roadside weed management. calls on the MAV to ensure adequate •2005 Watertable Map 6 The City of Greater Shepparton, supported funding is provided for councils to meet Released by the Shires of their statutory •NE Greenhouse Moira and “…That the MAV seek to clearly resolve the requirements. Alliance on a Recruiting Drive Campaspe, issue of responsibility for weed management on In the limited time presented a motion roadsides of undeclared and other roads available to speak •Special Lift-out on 7-10 to the State managed by local government” - CoGS Motion. to the motion, Weed Funding Council of the CoGS councillor Municipal Bruce Wilson •NRM Funding Seminar 10 Association of “If this be the case then the MAV must called on his •Emergency Weed Victoria on the 8th negotiate an immediate commitment for the “cousins from the Declaration of June asking the provision of additional resources to allow city” to understand •Management Plan for MAV to resolve a municipalities to meet their statutory the serious Kanyapella Basin claim that weed requirements” - Rationale. implications of Wetland. management on weed management council-managed roads is now the for regional councils. •Gemmill’s Swamp Bird 11 Hides responsibility of local government. The motion passed unanimously. A work •Irrigation Milestones The motion was combined with a similar plan will now be developed to take the •Information workshops proposal from South Gippsland Shire matter further. Council which seeks legislation Changing Roles •Salt Disposal and the 12 Murray River Traditionally, responsibility for roadside weed management •Salt Disposal 13 was with the adjoining Explained landholder, with DPI charged •Public and Private with compliance and Groundwater Pumps enforcement. However, legal opinion •Snapshots and 14 Snippets from the obtained by DSE/DPI on an MDBC & MAV. obscure sub paragraph in Section 20 of the Catchment •Barmah Boat Tour for 15 and Land Protection Act intrepid SIRIC (1994) exempts landholders members. from responsibility on “crown •Councils combine to save Stormwater $$$$ land managed by a public authority other than the •Old George the golfer 16 Secretary or Minister.” •Box Ironbark Ecology So who is responsible for roadside weed management? While we Course wait to sort that one out very little is being done to control weeds on According to the opinion, in •Coming Events roadside reserves, which are among our most significant surviving the case of municipal roads, stands of remnant vegetation. which make up 85% of roads Infex Page 2 Information Exchange for Municipalities in the Shepparton Irrigation Region Your Chance to Nominate a Noxious Weed. Weed Numbers The Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority and DPI are inviting local government, 27,000+ community groups and landholders to nominate weeds for the regional Noxious Weeds List. Number of alien plant species brought into The invitation is part of an 18 month program to assess Weeds of National Significance and State Australia and Regionally Prohibited Weeds for possible declaration as noxious weeds in this catchment. 2,700+ DPI and GBCMA use the list to set priorities for weed management work at a regional level. Number of alien plant Anyone knowing of a weed in the catchment which is not already listed is encouraged to fill out a species which have nomination form and it will be assessed for inclusion in the list. Nominations close on 30th June. become agricultural or Nomination forms and current lists of noxious weeds are available from DPI and the GBCMA. For environmental weeds further information contact Katie Brown, GBCMA Community Programs Manager, on 5736 0100. 34.6 million Number of hectares in Queensland invaded by the imported rubber Roadside Weeds……. vine. in the Shepparton Irrigation Region, this Impact on CMA’s is local government. 61 Another significant impact will be on Number of native plant There are 163,000 km of municipal roads Catchment Management Authorities species made extinct in Victoria. Rough estimates suggest it which, as linear managers for streams or threatened by could cost rural councils at least $18 and waterways, will be accountable for imported weeds million a year to carry out basic weed aquatic weeds, despite having few, if control on road reserves, equating to a any, funding resources to carry out the $30 million rate increase of 8-12% in some shires. work. Annual agricultural losses attributed to Informal discussions between the MAV More Cost Shifting? and DSE/DPI have not resolved the Paterson’s Curse While some councillors agree local issue. 1,831 government may be best placed to Number of weeds Compliance manage roadside which are escaped DSE/DPI remain weeds, they are garden plants. responsible for adamant it can compliance and only be possible if 56% say they will adequate Percentage of enforce linear resources are “World’s Worst managers’ weed provided. Invasive Alien management Many believe, Species” which are responsibilities. however, weed escaped garden But, until the management plants. roadside issue is could be another 26.3% resolved, they will example in a long Percentage of known not launch any list of cost-shifting invasive agricultural or new prosecutions Some weeds with high community priorities, such as onto local environmental weeds on landholders for Paterson’s Curse, will be much lower priorities under government and which are still non-compliance new weed guidelines. Instead, the limited resources ratepayers. available for sale. on roadside available will be aimed at “new and emerging” Councils have weeds. weeds which might still be eradicated. 80 been suspicious Number of known Changing for some time that invasive weeds which Priorities the continued withdrawal of DPI’s weed the CSIRO says should management staff from regional offices DPI has also advised that its own be urgently withdrawn would see more work falling onto local diminishing resources will be directed to from sale. government. “new and emerging weeds” which are still 77 capable of eradication. Taking the Bait? Number of native plant The department acknowledges this Some councils resisted applying for species rendered position “may differ from community funding under the “Tackling Weeds on extinct by agriculture. expectations”. Private Land” program, fearing it would be seen as them accepting responsibility 4 Weeds such as Paterson’s Curse are Number of native plant for roadside management. Even when seen as too far gone for effective species rendered councils did apply, many bids were eradication and are now low (eg: The extinct by weed curse is 95th) on the priority list. carefully structured to avoid any precedent in the roadside weed issue. competition. Infex Information Exchange for Municipalities in the Shepparton Irrigation Region Page 3 Partners Get It Together. More than a dozen councillors from municipalities in the Shepparton Irrigation Region attended a combined local government / GBCMA workshop on natural resource management in Shepparton on 10 May. The workshop was organised to bring new and re-elected councillors up to date with the latest environmental issues affecting local government and to convey their own priorities back to CMA board members and senior staff. In his opening address, GBCMA Chairman, Stephen Mills, emphasised the mutual dependence of the CMA and local government in managing the many environmental challenges facing the community. Mr Mills said the strength of the relationship between the CMA and councils in this region is envied in many other parts of the country. CoGS Mayor, Cr Jenny Houlihan and GBCMA Chairman, In response, City of Greater Shepparton Mayor, Cr Jenny Stephen Mills, co-hosted the CMA / Local Government Houlihan, said councillors also appreciated the close workshop, which emphasised the close working partnerships in relationship with the GBCMA, which is obvious in their many natural resource management. joint responsibilities and activities. Cr Houlihan specifically referred to “River Connect”, a pilot mutual benefits for local government and the CMA in achieving project aiming to improve the Shepparton and Mooroopna the objectives of the regional catchment strategy. communities’ understanding of their rivers and to recognise Councillors also heard the latest developments in the them as the life-blood of the community. River Connect will catchment’s river health program direct from the its manager, investigate options for invigorating this relationship, particularly Wayne Tennant. through the development of the large flood plain between Municipal Catchment Coordinator, Colin James, outlined a Shepparton and Mooroopna for passive recreation. range of topical issues of particular interest to local government, GBCMA Chief Executive Officer, Bill O’Kane, emphasised the including roadside weed management, coordination of funding, cost-shifting, native vegetation controls and alignment of local and regional planning.