Wandering weed plan wilts

By Casey Neill
EFFORTS to control wandering trad in the hills have been dealt a blow.
La Trobe MP Jason Wood will call for a national inquiry into weed funding after Environment Minister Peter Garrett indicated an ecological study into the pest would not go ahead.
Mr Wood delivered a letter to Mr Garrett on 22 February asking the Minister to reconsider any decision to cancel the $456,000 study, unveiled in October last year.
“I received correspondence this week that clearly states the Rudd Labor Government has no intention of allocating Coalition committed funds to CSIRO for the study,” he said. Mr Wood said the program was budgeted for, developed and was ready to roll out.
“It’s really a slap in the face to all the volunteers who spends hour after hour each weekend without state or federal funding,” he said.
He said the application that secured project funding took the CSIRO two years to prepare.
“They put a lot of work into it,” he said.
In his response, Mr Garrett thanked Mr Wood for his letter.
“With the election of the new Australian Government there will be some changes and improvements to our future natural resource management programs, including weeds management,” he said in the letter.
Mr Garrett said the Government would invest $15 million over four years into a new National Weeds Research and Productivity Program to reduce the impact of weeds on farm and forestry productivity and biodiversity.
The plan was announced by ALP candidate for La Trobe Rodney Cocks on November 12 last year.
The $15.3 million program was to reduce the presence and impact of invasive plants on Australian agriculture, forestry and native vegetation by bringing together experts, land managers and stakeholders.
“Arrangements for the new National Weeds Research and Productivity Program are still in development,” Mr Garrett’s letter said.
“You would therefore appreciate that it would be inappropriate for the Government to allocate funding to a particular project in advance of these procedures being finalised.”
Mr Wood said the program would take years to implement
“In the meantime the problems faced by the Shire of Yarra Ranges and surrounding municipalities go on ignored,” he said.
He said a national strategy to tackle wandering trad was needed now.
“This weed is all through the creeks through the hills and it’s sucking up all the water,” he said.
Mr Wood said it was also the biggest cause of allergic reaction in pets and stops platypus from being able to move freely through waterways.
He said wandering trad was also prevalent in New South Wales and New Zealand.
“It’s affecting a lot of places,” he said.
The Mail contacted the Federal Government but did not receive a response before deadline.