Weed management in the Whitsunday ‘peri-urban environment’ is becoming an ever-increasing problem.
New infestations of environmental and declared weeds are continually being discovered in peri-urban areas, which are creating concerns for both the condition of the surrounding environment and bordering land uses, including agriculture.
In an attempt to reduce these concerns, Whitsunday Regional Council has undertaken a review to uncover the limiting factors to effective weed management in the peri-urban environment.
As a result of this review, it was concluded that the primary limiting factor to effective weed management was the limited knowledge of weed identification and weed management skills among peri-urban landholders.
As a result, Whitsunday Regional Council has developed a co-ordinated and holistic community weed management program to address this issue.
The Whitsunday Weed Partnership Program is an extension based community assistance program that assists landholders in all facets of weed management, including the identification and controlling of weed species.
The Program is based upon the ideology that by educating landholders and equipping them with the required skills to manage weed issues on their land, the landholder will be able to continue sustainable weed management activities on their property into the future.
The Program also provides efficiencies for Council through the reduction of compliance and enforcement activities and promotes ongoing partnerships between Council and landholders in the region.
In return for being a participant in the Program, the Landholder receives:
- a site specific Property Pest Management Plan developed by a qualified Officer
- a hands on training day with a qualified Officer where they can use a range of weed management tools including QuickSpray Splatter Guns
- access to a range of subsidised equipment to continue weed control activities in the future
- contact with Council Officers if they have any future concerns.
The Program is a free resource to the Whitsunday community.
