Riverina MEPAAW Workshops

Regional Pest and Weeds Roadshow

Stronger Together - MEPAAW-MB-01

The issue

There are a diverse range of landscapes throughout the Riverina, and so too there are specific problems with pest animals and weeds in each of these landscapes. In a meeting between communities we identified a current need for education and awareness in best practice management, identification skills, hygiene, online resources and current legislation. In this time of drought, we took the opportunity to focus on the urban community and peri-urban landholders who are not often engaged with pest and weed information like the agricultural sector.

The solution

Murrumbidgee Landcare secured funding through the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Landcare NSW Established Pest Animals and Weeds initiative to host a series of roadshow events across the Riverina. 5 workshops were held in Wagga Wagga, Tumut, Young, Narrandera and Cootamundra between the 13th - 23rd of March 2019. The main themes carried through all sessions were identification, best practice management, hygiene, online resources and landholder responsibilities. Local Weed officers and Biosecurity Officers discussed each of these themes both in a regional scope and a local level.

The impact

The 3 main take home messages included:

1. Who can I turn to within my local community for help and information concerning pests and weeds?

2. Creating a discussion among the community on the difference one person can make in the bigger picture of land management.

3. No matter the size of the land, everyone can play their role in preventing, reporting and managing pest animals and weeds.

At least 31 people attending the events are more informed and confident to manage and control pests or weeds at home. Resources, booklets, handouts and information was not only dispersed and exchanged at each event, but also throughout the whole Riverina Regional pest and weed networks.

Brittany Turner, Project Officer.

Author: Britt Hicks