Weeds

Interested in learning more about herbicide application?

Are you a landholder in the ACT or in the Googong or Upper Murrumbidgee catchments south of the ACT?

Are you working with herbicides as a Park Carer/landcarer in the ACT or in the Googong or Upper Murrumbidgee catchments south of the ACT? If you fall into any of these categories and want to upgrade your chemical application skills, ensure your machinery is working correctly, enable up to date records and gain accreditation or reaccreditation then read on.

Come and hear how a local landholder, native plant experts, Bush Heritage Australia, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Cooma-Monaro Shire Council manage the scourge of the ACT/Monaro region - African Lovegrass.

The workshop is free and a BBQ lunch will be provided. For more information, and to register, please see the attached flyer.

Environmental Weeds

Current Policies and Practices

The Weed Society of NSW Inc will hold a one day forum at The Epping club on 27 July 2011. For more information, please see the attached flyer.

Recently a local landholder brought to the attention of the Noxious Weed Management services an infestation of Mintweed (Salvia reflexa) in the area along Cooma Creek south of Cooma.

Mintweed is not a declared noxious weed in the Cooma Monaro Shire; however, due to its invasive nature as well as being potentially toxic to livestock, the Noxious Weeds Committee has supported efforts to contain this incursion.

African Lovegrass (ALG) is a highly invasive environmental and agricultural weed in the region.

Redgrass African lovegrass mix.

‘Living with Lovegrass’ a forum designed around learning from each other on how to manage African Lovegrass was held at the Namadgi Visitor Centre on Saturday 22nd May.

Around sixty people attended the forum and it was interesting to hear the range of views expressed about lovegrass. Some graziers expressed the view that lovegrass is here, cattle can use it, so perhaps we are better off devoting resources to Serrated Tussock. Others thought that lovegrass is potentially our worst environmental and agricultural weed species. Whatever the view there is no denying African lovegrass is a highly persistent, summer growing, perennial grass weed that is invading rural properties, urban parklands and roadsides and nature reserves across our region.

A practical, hands‐on field day to answer your questions about:

• Identifying which plants are useful and which plants are weeds
• Distinguishing between native and introduced grasses
• Understanding what plants tell you about paddocks and landscapes

Join us on local projects as we work to restore the Biodiversity of several parks in Canberra’s inner south.

We will be removing woody weeds from the park areas, making them a more enjoyable space for people and native wildlife alike. This important project will also help conserve a key remnant of one of Australia’s most threatened ecosystems, grassy woodlands, and the endangered wildflower, the Button Wrinklewort.

From the foreword to the Strategy by Drew English:

There is a strong history of willow management in the upper Murrumbidgee — many of the accepted strategies and techniques began or have been tested in the region. An early ‘Willow Warrior’ in this region, Kurt Cremer, spent much of his later life observing, mapping and developing some of the management techniques that are included in this strategy.

Join Sarah Ryan ACT NRM Chair and Lee O'Brien Murrumbidgee CMA Chair at the launch of three long awaited UMCCC publications:

Look After Your Natural Assets (3rd Edition)

Willow Management - A Strategy for the Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment

Peri-urban Weed Management Study

Where: Queanbeyan Conference Centre, 253 Crawford St Queanbeyan
When: 11 am
11 August 2010, followed by lunch

RSVP to Pauline Carder, UMCCC Coordinator
Phone: 6207 2999
Email: pauline.carder@act.gov.au