The Tasmanian Government and landholders are working in partnership to invest $3.55 million to support 14 landscape-scale projects to tackle invasive weeds across the state in its latest round of the Weeds Action Fund.
As part of the government’s Weeds Action Fund the latest Targeted Large Grants round will provide $1.5 million to large-scale projects over three years, with landholders contributing the remainder.
Weeds Action Fund Chair Ian Sauer said the widespread interest is an encouraging step in the fight against weeds that have a detrimental impact on valuable agricultural and environmental assets.
“Through this round, we have seen an impressive co-investment of around 57 per cent, which will see extensive on-ground weed works across the Coal River Valley, Flinders Island, Ridgley through to Waratah, Sorrel down to the Tasman,” said Mr Sauer.
Fund recipient Coal River Products Association will tackle several target weeds such as serrated tussock, Chilean needlegrass and gorse over 67 private and public sites across the valley. This will treat over 2,090 hectares within a 15,000-hectare area. Project Manager, Oliver Strutt from EcoWorks Tasmania, said the project area spans from Craigbourne Dam to Cambridge and the Southern Midlands and Clarence municipalities.
“Weed populations know no boundaries, so it’s necessary to engage all stakeholders in the planning process, from private landholders and producers, to councils, Crown Land Services, and other land managers such as Tas Networks,” said Mr Strutt.
Of the 14 projects approved under the Targeted Large Grants round, six were from the state’s south, three from Flinders Island, four in the north and one in the north west. Another grant round for multi-year, landscape-scale projects for weed containment will be released in late 2021. A list of successful projects is available from the DPIPWE website: https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/invasive-species/weeds/tasmanian-weeds-action-fund.
The Tasmanian Weeds Action Fund is a $5 million Tasmanian Government initiative, funded for five years from 2018-19. The funds provided by the state government will be invested with farmers and community organisations to tackle weeds impacting valuable agricultural and environmental assets.