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Weed Management Society of SA

Weed Management Society of SA. Formed October 1999 Aims to ‘ minimise the economic, environmental and social impacts of weeds in South Australia’ Has 150 diverse members: govt. (state/local), university, industry & community agricultural, environmental & sectors

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Weed Management Society of SA

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  1. Weed Management Society of SA Formed October 1999 Aims to ‘minimise the economic, environmental and social impacts of weeds in South Australia’ Has 150diverse members: govt. (state/local), university, industry & community agricultural, environmental & sectors researchers, managers, volunteers, landowners, students

  2. Key Points The WMSSA wishes to raise the following issues: • Conflicts of interest • Resources • Surveillance and incursion response

  3. “Weedy” conflicts of interest The problem: Invasive economic plants • Economic benefits (often short-term) to the • garden industry • pastoralists and graziers • horticulturalists VS. • Economic and environmental costs (long-term) when some plants become weeds

  4. “Weedy” conflicts of interest Solutions: • Essential that legislation recognise and provide mechanisms to deal with such conflicts of interest • not grow • grow with strict management • grow with no restrictions • Prefer a consistent, national approach • Use EPBC Act for a national list of prohibited garden invasives

  5. Resourcing weed management The problem: Inadequate govt. response relative to the scale of the problem • Social cost dimensions means that public funding is essential • Weed issues are long term issues • SA govt. funding inadequate • Animal & Plant Control ~$3.5m p.a. (still at 1991 levels) • handful of govt. weed researchers in SA

  6. Resourcing weed management Solutions: • Consistent govt. investment in weed management across Australia • commensurate with the cost of the problem • Strategic, effective, long-term investment across the spectrum of the stages of invasion: Prevention Eradication/Containment Integrated weed management

  7. Prevention & Surveillance The problem: No pro-active approach to preventing new weed problems in SA • Prevention is clearly the most cost effective means of dealing with the weed problem • Majority of future weeds are here already • But SA has not put in place a formal system to detect and respond to new weeds • Key issue is $ to respond to new incursions, especially for environmental weeds

  8. Prevention & Surveillance Solutions: • Adequate Commonwealth funds to maintain effective border protection • for AQIS and Biosecurity Australia • A Southern Australia Quarantine Strategy • formal development and maintenance of surveillance systems with trained botanists • funds to actually respond to incursions

  9. Conclusion • Invasive species represent a persistent threat to Australia: policy and action, therefore need to also be persistent • The opportunity needs to be taken to develop nationally consistent policies and investment to deal with the invasive species risk • The Amendment to the EPBC Act is a welcome move to raise the legislative profile of invasive species in Australia • see our submission for specific issues with the Amendment

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