Top weed CD released

THE Shire of Yarra Ranges has been targeted as a fertile breeding ground for a weed control campaign.
The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has selected the shire’s garden wholesalers as the first recipients of a new CD ROM kit entitled What You Need To Know About Weeds in Victoria.
The free kit provides practical information on plants that pose the highest weed risk and the importance of keeping them off the nursery shelf.
By guiding retailers to make better choices about what they stock, the DPI hopes consumers will also adopt a more discerning attitude.
The campaign is part of the State Government’s Tackling Weeds on Private Land initiative, delivered by the DPI on behalf of the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) to help the community manage weeds and prevent their spread.
DPI senior project officer Donna Smithyman said it was an offence under the Catchment and Land Protection Act of 1994 to trade and transport declared noxious weeds.
“Weeds that aren’t proclaimed noxious weeds can still present a considerable threat to Victoria’s environment. These weeds have been identified and named on the Victorian Alert Weeds list,” she said.
The CD ROM is designed to be clear and simple to navigate, and features a list of declared noxious weeds, a complete collection of photographs of the Victorian Alert Weeds, and includes links to relevant weed authorities.
The kit also outlines the legal responsibilities of nurseries and garden centres.
Councillor Tim Heenan said the shire wholeheartedly supported the CD ROM release.
“One of the most common ways new weeds are introduced to the shire is from garden escapees from private land by plants purchased from nurseries, markets, and other retail outlets.
“There needs to be a reduction in the propagation and planting of weedy species.
“This will only come if consumers are better informed, which in turn can only be achieved with the support of the nursery industry in providing an appropriate selection of plants and accurate information to customers.
“The Shire of Yarra Ranges is very keen to work with industry and government in developing strategies for reducing the production and sale of environmental weeds across the shire,” he said.