Section 5 Case studies - Weeds Australia

Landholders meeting to discuss project.
Don Clinton
4. Raising knowledge levels. To begin with,
the project area was defined by the erection
of four large signs at key entry points to the
Landcare area. The signs highlighted the
areas were infested by serrated tussock and
African lovegrass.
As well, the project team hosted a local
seminar, titled ‘Recovering the Monaro’,
where key speakers demonstrated a holistic
approach to weed control, and emphasised
the need for vegetative competition and
management. Throughout the project’s fouryear
NHT funded period, land holders and
the community were frequently updated
about the project through media releases
and newsletters.
3. Increasing resources. The project
provided direct cash incentives to land
holders for cooperating in the program.
The initial major cash injection centred on
a three year Federal Government funded
National Heritage Trust (NHT) grant, which
was extended to four years. The grant
largely paid for the project officer and
specialist contractors. The application
for the NHT grant defined the nature and
scope of the activity, and the nature of the
cooperation between the Landcare Group
and Council.
A significant incentive to land holders was
the offer by Council to provide herbicides
at a 20% discount to project participants.
A majority of land holders made use of the
herbicide purchase offer.
In addition, land holders who chose to use
contractors for some of the work associated
with serrated tussock control had 40% of
the contractor’s costs paid for through
project funds ($5000 limit per land holder).
Contractors carried out spraying operations
as well as sowing competitive pasture
through direct drilling method according to
pre-established protocols. One hundred and
three land holders took advantage of the
contract work offer.
The project officer coordinated several
programs where small land holders worked
in groups to carry out weed control on
each other’s land. This had good social and
educational benefits as well as pooling
effort.
Land managers were then assisted in a
variety of ways to develop integrated plans
for the management of serrated tussock on
their land.
5. Taking action. The coordinated approach
resulted in many different approaches to
controlling serrated tussock. The project
officer particularly noted the following
initiatives:
• Hobby farm owners were encouraged
to carry out minimal grazing to increase
competition from existing vegetation.
• Land owners received help with largescale
planting of improved pasture
species by direct drilling.
• The use and benefits of reduced
rates of flupropanate application on
small serrated tussock plants was
demonstrated.
• Small severely degraded sites that were
infested with the tussock were treated
by cutting mature seeding pasture with
a forage harvester, transporting chopped
material and spreading it, mixed with
fertiliser, over the degraded site.
• Some paddocks were treated with
clover and fertilizer after extensive spot
spraying
• Pine trees were purchased and land
holders were given help to plant them
as buffer zones to serrated tussock seed
spread.
• The Cooma Rural Lands Protection Board
was given assistance with rabbit control
works on properties as part of their
revegetation program.
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