The Northern Territory government’s draft Buffel Grass Weed Management Plan fails to meet the scale and urgency of one of Australia’s most damaging invasive species, the Invasive Species Council says.
In a submission to the government this week, the Council warns that the draft plan’s weak regulation, major exemptions and patchy regional coverage risk entrenching buffel grass across the Territory, with devastating consequences for wildlife, culture and safety.
‘Buffel grass fuels hotter, faster and more frequent fires, overwhelms native vegetation and spreads rapidly along roads, rail lines and other transport corridors. This plan does not match the reality on the ground and the scale of this threat,’ Invasive Species Council Advocacy Manager Reece Pianta said.
‘Where buffel is still emerging, we have a narrow window to stop it. If we miss that window, wildlife and the safety of communities will continue to pay the price for generations.
‘We are urgently calling on the NT government to strengthen the draft plan by declaring buffel grass a Class A weed – requiring eradication – in the Darwin and Katherine regions, while mandating at least Class B control across the rest of the Territory.
‘The draft plan also leaves major regulatory gaps, with mandatory management requirements not extending to all conservation areas or transport corridors – despite these being well-known invasion pathways.
‘You can’t protect the environment if the rules stop at the park boundary or the edge of town.
‘One unmanaged roadside or rail line can undo years of hard work.
‘We strongly oppose the proposed 10-year industry-wide exemption for pastoralists, which would simply lock in long-term spread.
‘We are calling for the Buffel Grass Education and Assistance Program to be expanded Territory-wide, so Aboriginal landholders, conservation managers and local communities are properly supported to act early and effectively.
‘Recognition of buffel grass as a weed of national significance, of which it is currently under assessment for, would give this issue the national coordination it needs – and create the space for honest, constructive conversations about managing one of the biggest environmental threats facing inland Australia.’
Media inquiries: (02) 8006 5004
Background:
- Buffel grass fuels hotter, bigger and more frequent fires, and outcompetes native vegetation with its rapid growth. Buffel-invaded areas can contain up to 5 times more biomass than native grasslands.
- Buffel grass simplifies the structure and composition of plant and animal communities, primarily through the impacts of fire. Diverse native plant communities are being replaced by buffel monocultures. Central Australia is losing big old river red gums that provide hollows for dozens of bird and bat species.
Related Content
