The Hon. Kate Worden, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water Security (NT), Media Release, 26 March 2024

The Territory Labor Government has determined the next step to reduce the impact of buffel grass in Central Australia.

The Buffel Grass Technical Working Group (TWG) was formed in 2023 to address environmental concerns around buffel grass, which makes wildfires more intense and impacts biodiversity.

The TWG provided its findings, which recommend a Weed Advisory Committee be formed to build on the findings and develop a management plan, with the view of declaring buffel grass a weed.

The Committee will include members with expertise in land management and stakeholders from the pastoral industry with diverse backgrounds, to ensure we better understand the economic and environmental perspectives as well as the practicalities of managing buffel grass in Central Australia.

The Committee will develop a strategy that prioritises areas and methods where direct management of buffel grass will be most valuable and effective.

The strategy will take three months to complete and build on the work already completed by the TWG.

The strategy will be used to determine how declaring buffel grass as a weed can balance the protection of priority areas with the role buffel plays as fodder for the pastoral industry and as a soil stabiliser.

To learn more about weeds and how to manage weeds in the NT visit https://nt.gov.au/environment/weeds.

Quotes attributable to Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water Security Kate Worden:

“It is critical that we manage buffel grass in a manner that can balance all aspects of our community and economy.

“Areas of cultural, environmental and conservation significance must be protected, while our pastoral industry must be supported to manage and grow their business in an environmentally sound manner.

“I am confident our approach will not only align with the recommendations of the Technical Working Group, but is to be based on the expert, lived experience and knowledge of land managers in the Territory.”