Under Cont R O L Pest Plant and Animal Management News
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Under Cont r o l Pest Plant and Animal Management News Number 20 NRE Frankston, Keith Turnbull Research Institute June 2002 ISSN 1328-2425 Rapid response plan for potential, new and emerging weeds INSIDE THIS ISSUE Weed prosecutions - guilty 2 Victorian Weed Alert on gorse Wanted: weed spotters! 2 Branched broomrape - 3 Victoria still clean Commonwealth funds for 4 A new Department of Natural Resources and Weeds of National Environment project is focussing on potential, new Significance in Victoria and emerging weeds. The aim is to, where possible, WoNS funding 4 eradicate serious new weeds before they become Friends of Plenty River - 6 Victorian Weedbuster established. A five-point rapid response plan, cur- Public Land Award 2001 rently in draft form, will ensure that new weeds are b NRE Invasive Species/ 7 quickly identified, assessed for their potential risk c Biosecurity Symposium a and then dealt with according to the risks they pose Victorian Pest Management 8 - Framework for Action and the likelihood of success of intervention. Ragwort plume moth 9 Weed Watch Warning - 10 There are a number of positions and committees Madiera vine, Anredera which will have new responsibilities as part of this h cordifolia plan. The Victorian Weed Alert Executive will su- Pest Plant Distribution 12 pervise the Department’s response to new weeds. Prevention Strategy Victoria’s pest and disease 14 The plan’s rapid response framework defines the reference collections reporting relationships and responsibilities of those Fire ant specimen collec- 15 involved. tion d Bumblebees - potential 16 To ensure sufficient preparedness for future weed threat to flora & fauna incursions, various networks and documents will Portuguese millipedes 17 be prepared to supplement the plan. These include Reports and queries 18 New Publication WEEDeck 18 a communication strategy, contingency plans, weed KTRI contacts 19 collection guidelines, a hygiene and disposal pro- tocol and a compensation protocol. The plan will significantly enhance the effectiveness of any weed incursion response. Being in a ‘state of prepared- g e ness’ significantly reduces the response time to new weed incursions and should ultimately improve f the outcomes of eradication and containment ef- forts. The five steps in the plan start with surveillance and end with a containment response: 1. Surveillance The Weed Alert Network, made up of Statewide Weed Alert targets: (a) Mexican feather-grass Weed Spotters within and outside the Department, Nassella tenuissima, (b) Japanese knotweed will assist in reporting plants. An email discussion Fallopia japonica, (c) orange hawkweed Hier- group, image library and articles in newsletters will acium aurantiacum, (d) water hyacinth Eichhornia help to alert Weed Spotters to new weeds. The plan crassipes, (e) blue canary-grass Phalaris coer- provides a clear process for reporting new weeds, ulescens, (f) old man’s beard Clematis vitalba, (g) common horsetail Equisetum arvense, ... continued page 2 (h) Senegal tea Gymnocoronis spilanthoides Page 2 Under Control No.20 June 2002 Victorian Weed Alert Weed prosecutions: Wanted: from page 1 guilty on gorse and this will be publicised when the plan is Weed Spotters! finalised. 2. Collection A 58 year old central Victorian farmer The Victorian Coordinator, Weed Incursion has been fined by the Ballarat Magistrates The Victorian Department of Natural Rapid Response, will assist the Weed Spot- Court for failing to control weeds on his Resources and Environment (NRE) is es- ters to learn about potential weeds in their property and the adjoining roadside. The tablishing a Weed Alert Network of ‘Weed area and how to collect specimens for iden- man, from Allendale near Creswick, was or- Spotters’ across the State to help report tification. Regionally based Weed Alert dered to pay a $150 fine and $64.10 in costs potential, new and emerging weeds. Re- Contact Officers will act as a clearing house after being found guilty of not complying ports might be sightings of a new weed in for collected specimens which will be for- with a Land Management Notice issued by an agricultural, horticultural or bushland warded to the National Herbarium of NRE. The Notice had required him to show area, or perhaps of a potential weed being Victoria. evidence of attempting to control his gorse sold at a weekend market or nursery. 3. Identification infestation. This network is being established as part The formal identification of weed The case was the fifth successful prosecu- of the Victorian Weed Alert rapid response specimens will be carried out at the National tion by NRE in the Ballarat Magistrates plan for potential, new and emerging weeds Herbarium of Victoria at the Royal Botanic Court this year, for failure to control gorse. in Victoria. Although the network is just Gardens in South Yarra. Under the Catchment and Land Protection getting off the ground, eventually Weed 4. Assessment Act 1994, landholders in the North Central Spotters will be supported with an email Once a new weed has been formally Catchment region have a legal responsibil- information service and be able to make identified, the Weed Assessment Panel ity to prevent the growth and spread of contact with a Regional Weed Alert based at the Keith Turnbull Research gorse, which is a declared Regionally Con- Contact Officer (Regional WACO). Institute will assess its potential risk. trolled Weed. Specimens of suspect weeds will be passed through the Regional WACOs to the Depending on this assessment, the new The landowner, whose property falls within weed will require either a type 1 (low), 2 or National Herbarium of Victoria for formal a target area established by the Ballarat identification. 3 (high) level of response. A Weed Region Gorse Taskforce, had earlier been Incursion Management Team may be offered half the cost of the weed control If you are willing to assist NRE locate these formed to respond to the new weed. works, but did not take up the offer. The new or emerging weeds, please answer the 5. Rapid Response financial assistance had been made avail- questions below and forward by email to: Regional NRE staff and/or the Weed able through the Taskforce’s Cooperative [email protected] or fax to 03 Incursion Management Team will carry out Roadsides Program, a joint project between 5349 2687. eradication or containment of the new the Taskforce, Hepburn Shire and NRE. First name: weed, coordinated by the Regional New and NRE Pest Plant Enforcement Officer, Steven Last name: Emerging Weeds Officer. A communication Field, said that NRE is pleased to be work- Organisation or group (if applicable): strategy will ensure the public, stakeholders ing together with Hepburn Shire, the Gorse Postal address: and NRE are kept informed of the progress Taskforce and local landholders in a strate- Postcode: of the incursion. gic effort to get rid of this weed. “The com- Email: munity views gorse as a serious problem, Day-time phone: Some weeds of particular concern are and it is good that this view is reflected in Fax: branched broomrape (Orobanche ramosa), the courts. Landholders need to realise that Mobile phone: hawkweeds (Hieracium spp.), horsetails they are responsible for control of most Any weed speciality areas or interests you (Equisetum spp.), Japanese knotweed weeds on their own properties and adjoin- would like to highlight? (Fallopia japonica), Mexican feather grass ing undeclared roadsides,” Mr Field said. Once the network is established, Weed (Nassella tenuissima) and Senegal tea “Within the target areas, landholders are Spotters will be offered training and access (Gymnocoronis spilanthoides). offered a monetary incentive to complete to information on potential, new and their gorse control programs and NRE of- emerging weeds. Confidentiality will be ficers are available to consult and advise important. Kate Blood them on the best methods to use” said Mr Victorian Coordinator Field. “NRE officers will be moving into new Weed Incursion Rapid Response Kate Blood target areas in the coming months and we Victorian Coordinator Kate.Blood@ nre.vic.gov.au will continue to have the same expectation Part of the KTRI team Weed Incursion Rapid Response – landholders must take more responsibil- NRE, PO Box 7, Beaufort, 3373 ity for their weeds,” he said. Ph: 03 5349 2833, fax: 03 5349 2687, Source: NRE Media Release, 18 April 2002 Under Control No.20 June 2002 Page 3 Branched broomrape: Victoria still clean T he latest branched broomrape (Orobanche ramosa) inspections on 27 Victorian properties have found no evidence of the weed over a survey area of 17,774 hectares across 240 paddocks at 28 sites. Two broomrape plants found were sent to the National Herbarium of Victoria for identification but both proved to be the common clover broomrape (Orobanche minor). Branched broomrape, currently restricted to a large outbreak area around Murray Bridge in South Australia, poses an unacceptable threat to primary production and hence to the viability of rural communities. It is a parasitic including the 27 in Victoria, without branched weed that attacks the roots of oilseed and pulse broomrape being found. The level of crops, including canola, and a diverse range confidence that the plant is confined to the of vegetables. The dust-like seed could area in and around the quarantine zone is high. contaminate a variety of produce and the plant No branched broomrape has been discovered is a prohibited import for many of Australia’s during inspections over two years totalling key export markets. The inspection program is 484,000 ha on 423 linked properties outside part of the NRE response to recent notification the current quarantine area, despite seasonal with infestations were found in that seven Victorian properties have links (via conditions during 2001 being favourable for spring 2001, to give a total of 389 movement of produce and machinery) to the plant. known infested paddocks involving infested properties in South Australia.