Weeding out pest plants in Cardinia Shire

The current Cardinia Shire Pest Plant Management Strategy aims to reduce weed infestations across Cardinia Shire. Weeds damage the natural environment, threatening native flora and diminishing biodiversity, and can adversely influence fire threat, recreational activities and agricultural production.

Council’s review of the strategy will evaluate and update the action plan, which provides direction for delivering community education and engagement, planning controls and enforcement, and on-ground works and monitoring.

Cardinia Shire Council’s Manager Environment and Heritage, Desiree Lovell said managing weeds is a significant challenge and protecting against them is a shared responsibility between governments, private industry and the community alike.

“Through Council’s annual weed control program, we act to protect and maintain natural assets through preventing the invasion of weeds in bushland reserves and roadsides of high conservation value,” Ms Lovell said.

“We also aim to assist residents and businesses to control weeds within the shire by running and facilitating programs and initiatives, such as the Weed Control Grant Scheme, to promote weed control on private land.”

Council is hosting two in-person workshops and seeking feedback online to inform the strategy review as well as the development of the Cardinia Shire Biodiversity Conservation Strategy. The Biodiversity Conservation Strategy will guide the long-term strategic direction and efforts to preserve natural habitats and the wide variety of plant and animal life within the Cardinia Shire.

“We are encouraging residents, landowners, businesses, schools and community groups to join us at the workshops to learn about and share ideas for how we can all better manage pest plants into the future. If you can’t get along to a workshop, you’re ideas and feedback in the online survey are also very valuable to us in preparing for the strategy review,” Ms Lovell added.

Workshops

• Evening workshop in Officer on Thursday 21 June – Event details and registration before 18 June at https://goo.gl/mMqsXk
• Morning workshop in Emerald on Wednesday 27 June – Event details and registration before 22 June at https://goo.gl/WK8YHS

Consultation closes 5pm, Friday 29 June 2018 and all respondents to the online survey will go into the draw to win one of two $100 Bunnings vouchers. For more information and to have your say visit www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/haveyoursay

For more information about weed management including the most common weeds in Cardinia Shire, how to identify them, what your responsibilities are and how to manage weeds on your property, visit www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/weeds