Invasive species

Have you heard of Chilean Needle Grass? It’s a perennial tussock-forming grass and is one of 32 declared Weeds of National Significance (WoNS) in Australia. It’s commonly mistaken for native spear grass, but has potentially disastrous economic and environmental impacts.

Another successful haul from the Scenic Rim Carp Cup in September at the II Bogan Lagoon near Beaudesert has supported Council's efforts to protect the biodiversity and health of local waterways by targeting two invasive fish species, the Carp and Tilapia. In November, the long-established Scenic Rim environmental group, the Logan and Albert Fish Management Association, is hosting a similar family-friendly education-focused event, called the 'Carp & Tilapia Eradication Competition' at Wyaralong Dam.

Effective management of feral animals can play a part in achieving net zero emissions in Australia by 2050, according to Andreas Glanznig, CEO of the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions ... Mr Glanznig cited Centre analysis which has previously found that controlling rabbits, feral goats and camels at scale has the potential to make a significant contribution to emission reduction targets: by reducing the impact of feral herbivores on native vegetation, our native grasses, shrubs and young trees enabling them to act as a more effective carbon sink.

Local Land Services has joined forces with landholders on the North Coast and is achieving phenomenal results in the fight against cane toads. Recent cane toad control efforts in northern NSW have resulted in the control of over 10,000 adult and juvenile toads on 62 private properties affected by this invasive pest species.

In a first for the Southern Hemisphere, researchers have shown a bacteria can successfully sterilise and eradicate the invasive, disease carrying  Aedes aegypti  mosquito which is responsible for spreading dengue, yellow fever and Zika.    The breakthrough could support the suppression and potential eradication of Aedes aegypti worldwide.

Chris Murray. From the mid-1920s until 1941, when the palm seed exports collapsed during World War II, ratting was no recreational pastime, but an obligation for all Islanders who received income from palm seed sales via the Island Board’s shareholding system (and that included all Island men, women and children) ... Mary Marlowe takes up the story of a typical rat hunt in some detail ... The dogs, all three of them, were quivering at the rumps and lifting their forepaws from the ground in anticipation of jumping for the rat the instant it should appear out of the banyan log ...

Lockyer Valley Regional Council is urging landholders to remain vigilant for Fireweed. Lockyer Valley Environment Portfolio Councillor Michael Hagan said the invasive weed has the potential to severely impact agriculture in the region if it's not removed from pastures.

Rocky the conservation dog will be sniffing out fox dens this month as part of an expanded Coastal Fox Control Program. Rocky and his handler Tom Garrett  will survey coastal areas south of the Maroochy River to detect fox dens between September 10 and September 27, 2021. Previously Rocky worked in areas north of the Maroochy River.

Ten confirmed sightings of deer in the Tweed and 2 in the Kyogle region have been recorded since the Northern Rivers Feral Deer Alert program was launched in May.

Locals are being urged to share any information with the Limestone Coast Landscape Board about how almost a dozen feral pigs came to be roaming in the region. Investigation by the board indicated the pigs were likely to have been illegally released in the Reedy Creek area south-east of Kingston.

Harrisia Cactus, an invasive cactus species, has been confirmed by the Queensland Herbarium as being present in the Glan Devon district of Nanango. Council’s Pest Management contractors made the discovery during routine weed surveillance on a property recently.

Chris Oldfield. A bounty on feral deer similar to Victoria’s bounty on foxes was suggested at the Naracoorte Lucindale Council’s June 22 meeting ... Landscape SA chief Steve Bourne said of the feral deer problem, "It's huge. There is a recent senate inquiry report which shows that we are still in the very early stages of deer emerging in Australia as a pest. Fallow deer could take over the bottom half of Australia. We need to get on top of it."

Council has joined forces with Lismore and Kyogle councils, and the Tweed and Border Ranges-Richmond Valley Landcare groups, to launch 'The Northern Rivers is on Feral Deer Alert’ program. This community awareness campaign aims to prevent feral deer numbers growing out of control in the region, before it’s too late.

Rockhampton Regional Council is encouraging residents to report any sightings of feral pigs after some recent activity in the lower Mount Archer, Frenchville Road and Moore’s Creek/First Turkey areas.

Groundbreaking research funded by the NSW Government has today revealed feral pig control programs can save landholders up to $100 per hectare, Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Western NSW Adam Marshall has announced ... “Feral pigs are one of the most wide-spread pests which cause significant economic losses to primary production and other agricultural enterprises in many parts of the State and also damage environmental and cultural sites."

The 2020-21 brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) season is wrapping up and Australia’s measures have again remained strong against this serious pest ... BMSB is a serious threat for Australia’s agriculture industries and environment, because of the damage it can do to vegetable crops and fruit and ornamental trees.

“Red imported fire ants are one of the world’s worst invasive species due to their devastating economic, environmental and social impacts, They are a danger to people and our way of life, destroy agricultural and domestic infrastructure, and are a serious environmental threat."

Emma Pritchard. With areas of bushland and forestation cleared following the bushfires, cane toads have hopped their way south along the Summerland Way and breeched the southern containment line, the Clarence River, within the past 12 months.