Regional Landcare weed management priorities
Incorporating Landcare priorities in regional weed management programs
Capacity to Deliver - LP022-R004
The issue
Landcare on the NSW North Coast has a strong focus on community volunteers working on local sites that are identified as high priorities for ecological restoration. These include values such as riparian corridors, threatened species habitat and endangered ecological communities (EECs).
Vine weeds are a major environmental problem with riparian areas often most affected. Vines smother native vegetation, degrade habitat and wildlife corridor values and often result in loss of vegetation, riverbank erosion and loss of productive farmland.
Landcare on the North Coast often identifies these issues as some of the highest priorities for action to protect threatened species habitat, maintain biodiversity corridors and conserve critical riparian zones and riverine condition.
The solution
With so many weed issues competing for limited funding, the catchment-wide scale of riparian vine weeds is difficult to address and the focus for projects is on ‘asset protection’ to target specific ecological values at restricted sites. Programs and funding to address riparian weed issues from the top of the catchment and working downstream are required to effectively manage this challenge on the North Coast.
The impact
North Coast Regional Landcare Network is seeking to drive an approach to making Landcare’s priorities and work on weeds and pests better recognised in relevant regional plans and ensuring there are no impediments to Landcare priorities such as riparian vine weeds being acknowledged as significant and appropriate for funding.
Landcare has the professional project management capabilities to deliver on-ground projects that target weed species that are high priorities in the regional weed strategy including species listed for prevention, eradication or containment.
Key facts
- Vine weeds along riparian corridors and within other significant ecological communities such as rainforest are one of the highest priority Landcare challenges.
- Many weeds that are of concern to Landcare groups, landholders and local communities are not clearly identified as high priorities in the regional weed strategy.
- Grant programs for bush regeneration and habitat enhancement are typically strongly linked to delivering against government plans and strategies.
- Landcare has a professional network of local and regional staff who deliver best-practice outcomes in weed management.