Tarrangower Cactus Control Group, Tarrangower Times
Many of us are familiar with the destructive environmental impact of wheel cactus in our area. Some have volunteered for years in controlling this weed and take responsibility on their own and other properties; however, there are still properties in our area with significant infestations of wheel cactus.
Possibly, some landowners may not have considered the problems created by wheel cactus in a fire situation.
In a recent fire emergency in Baringhup, CFA volunteers were confronted with a situation made difficult due to the rocky and hilly terrain. However, equally confronting were the many large mature wheel cactus plants on one of the properties they were working from. This dense infestation of wheel cactus created a dangerous situation for the CFA volunteers. Combined with smoke affecting visibility and high-pressure hoses, the wheel cactus-infected terrain became highly slippery and very challenging for the volunteers.
As CFA Captain Brendan McKnight commented, “Wheel cactus is an OH&S issue for the CFA. It is another risk factor in a situation that is already full of risk; just ask the poor bloke who fell onto a large wheel cactus while we were dealing with the fire”.
This fire incident has highlighted yet another reason why landowners need to control infestations of wheel cactus on their property. We encourage all landowners to keep their property safe as well as environmentally healthy.
Tarrangower Cactus Control Group is available to provide advice and assistance to local landholders. Please contact us via our website https://cactuswarriors.org/.
This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 17 March 2023.
