The Invasive Species Council welcomes the announcement today that buffel grass has finally been declared a weed in the Northern Territory, following a similar declaration by South Australia in 2015.
‘This is a huge win that follows years of relentless campaigning by local Indigenous groups, environment groups and tourism operators who are alarmed at the spread of this highly flammable weed,’ Invasive Species Council Conservation and Biosecurity Analyst, Lyall Grieve said.
‘Buffel grass is undeniably one of the most severe invasive threats to the environment and culture of Central and Northern Australia.
‘As buffel grass spreads, it pushes out native grasses, starves our wildlife and drives more extreme fires.
‘Communities in the Northern Territory have been calling on the government for decades to take decisive action to prevent the spread of invasive buffel grass.
‘While this change is a critical first step for action, the battle against invasive buffel grass cannot be won without serious funding for action on the ground.
‘If we are going to save the remaining central Australian mulga, red gum woodlands, hummock grasslands and the animals who rely on them from this invasive menace, then it will require long term funding of a targeted removal program. The NT Government is spending $750,000 managing buffel grass this year and this is a good start but it must be backed up with increased and longer term funding.
‘Whilst we celebrate this announcement, it is unfortunately yet another instance of government action coming only after an invasive species has spiralled out of control. We must learn from this and adopt a proactive approach to protecting our previous ecosystems in the future.’
Alex Vaughan, Policy Officer, Arid Lands Environment Centre said: ‘Buffel grass is already found in every mainland state and the Northern Territory, it has the potential to spread up to 68 percent of this continent. National coordination and resourcing is essential, which must include a Weeds of National Significance listing. If Tanya Plibersek is serious about no new extinctions, a national plan to abate the buffel grass threat must be an urgent priority.
‘This is a vital opportunity to turbocharge research solutions at the landscape-scale. It is a national travesty that we still do not know how to properly manage the buffel grass fire threat. The spread of buffel grass has continued at an exponential rate across the arid lands, and decades have been lost, but it’s not too late. Let’s work together to stop the spread of buffel grass across the arid lands.
‘Since the 1950’s, buffel grass was deliberately planted at scale across Central Australia as a pasture grass and as a dust suppressant for overstocked and degraded lands. This moment makes clear that the ongoing proliferation of buffel grass is unacceptable. The arid lands are a site for healthy communities and Country. Our inland rivers, threatened species and sites of ecological and cultural significance must be conserved against the impact of buffel grass invasion.
‘This decision by the Northern Territory Government is legislation catching up to on-ground land management experience that buffel grass is a weed and needs to be urgently managed. Let’s work together to care for the arid lands and address this key threat.’
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Background:
- The Invasive Species Council and the Arid Lands Environment Centre joined over 50 organisations in a multi-sector open letter calling for Minister Worden to declare buffel grass a weed across the Northern Territory, recognising the impact it has on public safety, culture, environment, health and economic diversity.
- In 2023 The Invasive Species Council made a submission to the NT Gov urging them to act on the issue of buffel grass. View this submission here.
Image credit: Northern Territory government.
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