Weeds and biosecurity – local action on big issues

Invasive weeds are a serious problem in North Queensland, threatening the region’s economic and environmental sustainability, and early intervention is key to management.
The Dry Tropics Pest Advisory Forum is hosting a free forum at the Collinsville Community Centre on Wednesday 28 March to promote awareness, seek landholder feedback and provide practical current best practice solutions to landholders and community interest groups to help manage priority weeds and on-farm biosecurity.
Regional Pest Management Project Officer Rachael Payne said the forum would focus on local issues, with input from Biosecurity Queensland, local government, industry and landcare representatives. She said it was an opportunity to learn about weeds and control methods and to network with weed control experts.
“The aim of the day is to provide tools, knowledge and support to landholders to help them effectively manage the impacts of weeds on their agricultural profitability and improve native habitat on their properties,” Ms Payne said.
“Weeds are a big inhibitor to the cattle industry.  They put our agriculture, our environment and our communities under pressure.
“However, management solutions are continually being developed and the forum is about sharing those solutions.
“Effective management requires region-wide, targeted treatment, and this is done through established local-level partnerships, leveraging significant co-contributions, and capitalising on the passion of the community tackling weed problems.
“It’s also an opportunity for landholders to voice how weed management issues affect them and the resources they deploy towards their control,” she said.
The forum will include presentations on third party property access obligations and biosecurity implications, and how grazing land management practices can manage weeds.  Field demonstrations of spray equipment and wash down equipment, as well as a discussion on on-farm wash down bay designs will also feature.
The Dry Tropics Pest Advisory Forum, a bi-annual event, is organised by the Burdekin Dry Tropics regional pest management group and includes representatives from local government, industry, landcare groups and NQ Dry Tropics.
Next week’s forum is being co-hosted with the Landholders Driving Change project, and is funded by the Queensland Government Queensland Reef Water Quality Program and Regional NRM Investment Program.
The forum starts at 9.30am, finishes at 4pm, with lunch and smoko provided. For further information contact Landholder Driving Change Land Management Support Coordinator Rodger Walker on 0408 828 276 or Landholder Driving Change Senior Field Officer Brendan Smith on 0417 408 587.