By JESSE GRAHAM
A WEED management group in the hills has called on the government to restore axed funding, which, if not restored, could undermine years of environmental protection.
The Community Weed Alliance of the Dandenongs (CWAD), along with the Yarra Ranges Council, has been campaigning to restore $1 million in funding through the Urban Fringe Weed Management Initiative (UFWMI).
The funding allowed the council to help co-ordinate weed control programs with agencies and community groups, to address severe weed infestations.
The Mail reported in February that Eastern Victoria Region MP Edward O’Donohue had addressed Parliament, asking for the government to restore $1 million in funding to the council over the coming four years.
Alliance secretary Jane Hollands told the Mail on Sunday 29 March that cutting the weed management funding would limit the group in continuing a pilot program – UFWMI Plus – to remove weeds on private properties.
“Private properties remain the biggest threat to the public reserves and this round of funding would have gone a long way to treat the biggest threats,” Ms Hollands wrote in a response.
“Without this funding, the private properties with weed infestations will continue to infect our public reserves – this seriously undermines the dollars spent in previous years.”
Ms Hollands said that CWAD had not received direct funding from UFWMI, but joined the working party in 2014 and formulated the UFWMI Plus program, which it would have received funding for.
The funding for the program ended in June 2014, five months before the Andrews Government won the November election.
Mr O’Donohue said the government had a “responsibility to protect our native flora and fauna” by continuing the funding.
But Ms Hollands said that, in correspondence with Environment, Climate Change and Water Minister Lisa Neville, it was said the UFWMI would end altogether.
She said that the alliance hoped the government would rebrand the program and put more emphasis on community engagement.
The Mail contacted Ms Neville about this claim and with questions about the weed management funding, but did not receive a response before deadline.
