Information and Articles

The NSW Government will spend more than $8.5 million to fight the spread of noxious weeds across the State this financial year, Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, announced today.

Minister Macdonald said the noxious weeds grants would be allocated to local councils and other weed control authorities to enable them to carry out specific activities above and beyond their normal weed control programs.

“Noxious weeds are an important and costly issue for the State’s agricultural sector and our economy as a whole,” Mr Macdonald said.

Background to the European Fox

The fox was brought to Australia by early settlers for the purpose of horse and hound hunting, and  have along with domestic cats that have turned feral, have been paramount in the near decimation of many of our native species.The main agricultural impact from foxes is predation on lambs, kids and poultry.  Foxes are thought to prey on up to 30% of lambs and kids in some areas.

Lantana control has become high tech with the recent release of a new Decision Support Tool by the Lantana Weeds of National Significance Program.
The new computer-based tool has been designed to assist land managers with tailoring integrated control programs for their properties - promising more cost-effective management outcomes.

More than 200 Hunter Valley and South Coast farmers recently attended a spring series of field days and workshops promoting pasture management for weed control.

“The more competitive the pasture the lower the weed burden in the long run,” said Industry & Investment (I&I) NSW fireweed project officer, Craig Muir.

I&I beef livestock officer, Ian Blackwood, said improved pasture paid for itself.

The Cumberland Livestock Health and Pest Authority is set to undertake a broad scale release of rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) across the northern Sydney region in a major effort aimed at reducing the ecological impact of urban rabbit populations.

The release of RHD, also known as rabbit calicivirus, will take place in late February when there is improved likelihood of the virus spreading via flies and mosquitoes.

Rabbits are a declared pest species in NSW and must be continually suppressed and destroyed in accordance with the Rural Lands Protection Act. There are several available methods of rabbit control that can be undertaken:

1. Fumigation

A free booklet has just been released, providing information for small farm owners who are having trouble identifying and controlling weeds on their land. The booklet, titled Weed Detection and Control on Small Farms, is the result of two recently completed projects undertaken by the University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales, and funded by Land & Water Australia.

Scientists from Industry & Investment (I&I) NSW and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) staff are working with local landholders and Livestock Health and Pest Authority (LHPA) rangers to test the most effective rates for 1080 aerial baiting of wild dogs.

They will measure the effectiveness of 1080 at rates of 10 baits per kilometre and 40 baits per kilometre against a control with no 1080 bait in this research project funded through the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre and NPWS.

The Livestock Health and Pest Authorities State Management Council has developed a new shorter training course which will allow landholders to use 1080 and Pindone baits on their properties.

Funded and approved by the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW), all LHPAs across the state are now offering a three-hour course to give landholders a clear understanding of 1080 and Pindone use and their legal obligations.

Vaccinating your herd with a 5-in-1 vaccine prevents costly stock losses for around 35 cents a dose.