The Victorian Government will continue supporting regional and rural councils in their fight to prevent the spread of invasive weeds and pests on roadsides, with the announcement that $2.86 million in funding will be shared across 56 councils to tackle the issue.
Each council will receive between $5,000-$75,000 to manage the problematic plants and pests as part of the Victorian Government’s Roadside Weeds and Pests Control Program.
Weeds and pests cost the Victorian economy more than $900 million each year – disrupting agricultural production, damaging native biodiversity and contributing to the spread of fires – with rural roadsides often serving as a breeding ground.
The State Government is investing $11.5 million over four years in the Roadside Weeds and Pests Control Program, providing greater protections for agriculture, roads and the environment.
Victorian Minister for Local Government, Melissa Horne, said the State Government is supporting local communities to reduce the spread of weeds and pests along rural roadsides that have the potential to wreak havoc on native plant species.
“Through better control of our roadside weeds and pests, we could potentially save our farmers and economy millions of dollars each year.”
The funding will assist councils with a range of activities along their rural roadsides, including treating and preventing ‘regionally controlled’ and ‘restricted’ weeds, managing rabbit populations, and community consultation.
‘Regionally controlled’ weeds are defined as being widespread in a region, requiring landowners to prevent their growth and spread, while ‘restricted’ weeds are considered a serious threat to all states and territories.
Trading ‘restricted’ weeds and their propagules – either as plants, seeds, or contaminants in other materials – is banned.
Weeds can be categorised differently depending on where they are in the state, for example, Ragwort is ‘Controlled’ in Corangamite, Glenelg, East and West Gippsland, Port Phillip and Western Port, ‘Prohibited’ in Goulburn and Northeast Victoria and ‘Restricted’ in Mallee, North Central Victoria and the Wimmera.
Local Government Victoria and Agriculture Victoria will work closely with local councils to ensure weeds and pests are tackled appropriately in their local area.
