Managing established pest animals and weeds - sharing the message
Understanding the finer details of managing pest animals and weeds with the right people who can support landholders
Local Links - Stronger Communities - MEPAAW-CT-01-03
The issue
Managing pest animals and weeds is an ongoing responsibility for all landholders within the Central Tablelands LLS region. Landholders are finding the impacts of pests on their enterprise can be prohibitive, as can be the cost of controlling them. Effective control of species generally requires a coordinated effort between landholders at a landscape scale. A lack of participation from neighbours is an ongoing frustration for landholders who do actively manage their pest species.
The solution
Watershed Landcare hosted two Weed and Pest Animal Roadshow events, in Gulgong on 27th March, 2019 and Pyramul on 28th March, 2019. These workshops aimed to inform and educate.
Landholders were given the opportunity to meet with staff who support pest management from Local Land Services, Mid-Western Regional Council and Department of Primary Industries. Responsibilities under the Biosecurity Act 2016 were explained by these staff members as was the importance of reporting pest impacts and new incursions. New and emerging technology to improve management efficiencies were also showcased at these events. Executive members of all five local Pest Management Groups were also on hand to offer support to attendees, giving them local contacts within their own community.
The impact
The events were well received with over 35 landholders attending, many suggesting that these could be repeated on a yearly basis.
Landholders with little pest management knowledge walked away with a wealth of information and, importantly, details of those to contact for more information. More experienced managers were bought up to date with the latest technology in remote sensing and monitoring of feral animal traps used widely internationally but yet to be endorsed in Australia. Attendees were also shown how to download and use apps on their phone to assist with weed identification (DPI's WeedWise) and pest animal recording (FeralScan).
The days provided an excellent opportunity for local people to understand their local resources, their biosecurity responsibilities, the direction pest management is heading in and to ask any questions to assist their own management efforts on their own properties.
Key facts
- The workshops were attended by 37 landholders from across our area.
- Landholders need to know who their local pest management group is and get involved.
- If you sight a wild dog or see evidence there has been one - REPORT it to LLS.