$7.8 million to fight invasive weeds and pests
24 Sep 2012Pest plants and animals alongside 100,000 kilometres of local roads are about to be a thing of the past, thanks to a new program launched in Bendigo.
The $7.8 million Roadside Weeds and Pests Program was launched on 14 September by the Minister for Local Government, Jeanette Powell and Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Peter Walsh.
"Each of the 56 councils with responsibilities for rural roads will receive a share of the funding, up to $50,000 per council each year, based on the length of the roads they manage," Mrs Powell said.
The funding has been set for each of the three financial years of the program to make it easier for councils to budget and plan control activities that meet their needs.
Roadsides provide a means for invasive plants and rabbits to spread throughout Victoria and threaten the environment. They are a major concern for government and private land managers, and have significant impact on agricultural production.
Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh said the cost of weeds alone to agriculture was estimated to be about $1.2 billion annually.
"The $7.8 million Roadside Weeds and Pests Program will support councils to plan and implement control activities for the long-term management of regionally prohibited and regionally controlled plants and animals on rural roadsides," Mr Walsh said.
Participating councils will be required to use their annual funding allocation to implement an approved Roadside Weed and Rabbit Control Plan, to be submitted to the Department of Primary Industries, before June 2013.
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