What Blackberry is That cont

WEED ALERTSSt John’s Wort’s Summer

Cindy Hanson, Weeds Section, DPIWE

As many of us ate and slept our way through the festive seasonother life forms were in far more active modes. Certain weedyplants flourished with a vengeance this summer, amongst themSt John’s wort. From November 2003 to February 2004 WeedSpotters from around Tasmania called in numerous roadsidepopulations of this at once inimical and useful plant.

St John’s wort is a perennial herb from the Clusiaceae familywith a long and fascinating association with human spiritualand medicinal practices. It is native to Europe, western Asiaand North Africa but has spread to other temperate regions ofthe world. Today it is a serious weed of grazing areas in theUnited States, Canada, Chile, India, Hawaii and New Zealandas well as being a common pest in its native range. St John’swort appears to have arrived in Australia soon after Europeancolonisation and was known as a garden and medicinal plant

from the 1850s. Today it infests large areas of Victoria and New South Wales and is most successful in higher rainfallareas. It is also found in Western Australia and South Australia. St John’s wort is a roadside, neglected area and pastureweed in many Tasmanian municipalities. Only the West Coast, Circular Head, the Bass Strait Islands, Tasman andGlamorgan/Spring Bay are relatively free. Climate modelling indicates the potential distribution of this plant in Tasmania isfar greater than currently observed. St John’s wort is a declared weed in Tasmania and is required to be eradicatedwherever it occurs.

From a distance St John’s wort may be mistaken for a number of other erect, yellow-flowered herbs, including, for example,ragwort. Close inspection will reveal it is quite unique. It grows to 1.2m under ideal conditions but is typically shorter at30 – 70 cm. The stems are brownish-red and have two, opposite, gland-bearing ridges. These are unusual and give the stema flattened appearance. Leaves are oval to linear, stalkless and have numerous tiny, clear oil glands. When leaves are heldto the light these glands give the appearance of tiny holes or perforations for which the plant is named. The flowers arebright yellow, have 5 petals and occur at the ends of branches. The petals are dotted with black glands along the margins.The flowers mature into a sticky three-celled capsule that holds numerous, tiny, dark brown to black cylindrical seeds. StJohn’s wort has both a deeply extending main root and long, slender rhizomes that run close to the soil surface.

Reproduction is both by vegetative means and by numerous, long-lived seed. St John’s wort seeds germinate at all times ofthe year except summer and are the main mode of dispersal. Their small size accommodates transport in water and as acontaminant of agricultural produce. The sticky seed capsule attaches to animals and clothing and survives the digestivesystems of most types of stock. Seed is also dispersed by slashing and mowing. Fire stimulates seed germination andprovided the situation is open and relatively free of competitors, seedling growth can be very dense. Earthmoving andcultivation transport pieces of the crown or rhizomes, both of which may form new shoots.

St John’s wort impacts are felt principally by grazing enterprises although it can infest other agricultural operations. It isrecorded as a weed of olive groves in France for example. It is highly competitive, especially in poorly managed,overgrazed pastures or other situations where ground is laid bare. Stock generally graze around it but when they do eat it,either fresh or in hay, they are often poisoned and suffer photosensitisation, central nervous system damage, depression,birthing problems and loss of condition. It may also cause contact dermatitis in people.

St John’s Wort’s Summer (cont)

http://www.iwsc2004.org.za/

TASWEEDS incorporating SPOTTER Edition 22 March 2004 www.tasweeds.org

As well as being the target of weed managers, St John’s Wort also has many ardentsupporters. A basic internet search yields a mountain of information about its beneficialproperties. It is purported to be an effective treatment for wounds due to its antibacterialnature, lung and kidney complaints and a variety of sleep, anxiety and mood disorders. Itspopularity for these purposes is in no sense new. St John’s Wort has a 2400-year historyas a healing herb and was studied and prescribed by Hippocrates.

St John’s wort presents weed managers and herbalists with the same dilemma offered bya large variety of plants that have both useful and invasive qualities. In areas where theplant presents a clear weed threat, can it be grown for phytotherapeutic purposes withoutrisking escape from cultivation? What defines an acceptable stance on harvesting wildpopulations? Clearly the situation is complex and requires some innovative thinking.

In the meantime the DPIWE will continue to manage St John’s wort according to itsstatutory weed management plan which means that land owners are required to eradicateit. Accordingly Regional Weed Management Officers welcome any reports of this plant.

Weed Alert Update from the North.

Japanese Knotweed.

They didn’t resort to excavation of this plant from a carpark in Wales fornothing according to northern Tasmanians grappling with Japanese knotweed,Fallopia japonica. This plant occurs at 19 known sites in Launceston,Scottsdale and Beauty Point, mostly in gardens but also in riparian areas. Acontrol program initiated by DPIWE Regional Weed Management Officer forthe north, Jamie Cooper has shown that this plant will not die easily. Treatmentwith the recommended metsulphuron herbicide has not resulted in a singlesuccessful kill to date. A range of different chemical options is now beinginvestigated and according to Jamie several successive years of herbicideapplication are likely to be required.

Photo: Chris Moore

K

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New Hawkweed Found in VictorianHigh Country

Kate Blood, Weed Alert Rapid ResponseTeam, DPI Victoria

A new weed has been found in Victoria. It is also thought tobe a new weed record for Australia. The weed is called

ing Devil Hawkweed (Hieracium praealtum ssp. bauhinii) and it is a member of the Asterace
ae family. It is a perennial


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herb with clusters of yellow daisy flowers on a stalk that reach over 70 cm tall when flowering. However plants are oftenmuch smaller when growing on poorer/shallower soils or in exposed conditions.

The weed was found in December 2003 by Rudi Pleschutschnig, a Prescribed Fire Fighter with the Victorian DSE. Rudifound the 0.8 ha infestation south of Falls Creek village, and just north of Rocky Valley Dam. The infestation is in an areaof natural vegetation with some disturbed areas including a ski chair lift, vehicle track, revegetated borrow pit and picnicarea. Specimens of the plant were submitted to the National Herbarium of Victoria and the identity confirmed.

Surveys of the surrounding area for Hieracium aurantiacum (Orange Hawkweed) were carried out by Ecology Australia inJanuary 2004 under contract by Parks Victoria. Botanists found two satellite infestations of King Devil Hawkweed.

Rudi has been working with Parks Victoria staff on its treatment using herbicides since December 2003. A strict hygieneand disposal protocol is in place to reduce the spread of the weed. Further advice has been given by Michael Hansford,Implementation Officer Weed Alert Rapid Response.

At present the source of King devil hawkweed is unconfirmed. Possible sources include contaminated bushwalking orcamping equipment or ski equipment from NZ.

The plant originates in Europe and has become a weed in NZ, USA, Canada. It spreads by small wind-born seeds with afluffy parachute attached, and by spreading stolons or runners similar to a strawberry plant. It can form thick mats. Thisweed is a common and serious weed in some parts of the NZ high country.

It is not assessed by AQIS for entry to Australia so a Weed Risk Assessment would need to be carried out if someone wasproposing importation of seed or plants to Australia. King Devil Hawkweed is a State Prohibited Noxious Weed in Victoria(Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994), as are all species of Hieracium. The Department of Primary Industries has theresponsibility of managing these weeds under the lead agency Department of Sustainability and Environment. Ongoingsurveillance, monitoring and eradication efforts will be coordinated at a local level by a Hawkweed Incursion Controller.

*Tasweeds Editors note. All Hieracium species are also declared weeds in Tasmania.

Conference Call

The 4th International Weed Science CongressDurban, South Africa 20th to 24th June 2004


National ethnic biosecurity education and awareness campaign launchedFrom [email protected]

The Australian Government launched a $300,000 biosecurity education and awareness campaign on 25 February 2004 forpeople from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) involved in primary industries. In launching the initiative at theSydney Markets, the Australian Government Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Warren Truss, also drewattention to the Government's commitment to biosecurity. "Australia must do everything it can to defend itself from pests



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and diseases that could devastate agriculture and have a negative impact on the economy and, as a result, adversely affectthe entire community," Mr Truss said. "This campaign represents the first time the Australian Government has specificallysought the ethnic community's cooperation in this critical area."

Mr Truss said Australia exports about 70 per cent of its agricultural products and contributes about $31 billion to theeconomy each year. "Australia's uniquely favourable animal and plant health status underpins our ability to trade and ourreputation for premium-quality food," he said. "Biosecurity education and awareness are vital if we are to maintain andprotect our market advantage. "A single case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, papaya fruit fly, white spot in prawnsor karnal bunt in wheat, would jeopardise Australia's trading position, affecting the whole nation."

Mr Truss said the contribution of NESB farmers to overall agriculture was increasing, especially in the market gardeningand horticulture enterprises that produce a significant amount of our vegetables and fruit. "The Australian Government isaware that smaller scale, market garden-type operations near urban centres potentially pose an even greater risk as an entrypoint for pest and disease in Australia than more traditional large-scale farms," he said. "This campaign importantly seeksto raise the awareness of ethnic producers to these risks so they can assist in such areas as the early identification ofsuspicious pests and diseases, and take immediate action in reporting them to authorities.

"Early detection provides the best opportunity to limit the impact of pest and diseases by curbing the initial spread of anoutbreak and eventually eradicating them. "Another important part of this campaign is to alert communities throughout thenation about what can and cannot be bought into the country, and the risks posed by illegal imports, such as food and othergoods. There are legal means of bringing in some goods to Australia, which travellers can easily check."

Key messages of the campaign include:• look for and immediately report early clinical signs of animal disease or plant pests• check the origins of material coming on and off farm to assess the risk of disease• create a 'buffer zone' with neighbouring farms• do not feed food waste to production animals, especially swill to pigs• if dealing with suspect animals, clean and disinfect afterwards• use certified 'free from pests' seed or propagation material• do not bring in plant material of a favourite plant or variety from overseas.

Mr Truss said the Sydney company, Multicultural Marketing and Management, had been appointed to develop andimplement the campaign through briefings with key stakeholders. They included ethnic grower groups, the AustralianGovernment Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, AnimalHealth Australia, Plant Health Australia, and State and Territory agriculture agencies. The company will produce resourcesin 10 languages, including brochures, information sheets, web sites, displays and posters. It will produce an audiocassette,as well as a video and radio series. The campaign will also target ethnic festivals to distribute information.

"This campaign is a continuation of a wealth of preparedness activities undertaken by government and industry sinceExercise Minotaur, a major national foot-and-mouth disease simulation held in September 2002," Mr Truss said."Government and industry have been working closely to strengthen Australia's ability to prevent and, in the worst case,manage a major pest or disease emergency. "Critical achievements in this area include gains in disease control, emergencyplanning, coordination, resource management, information management, communications, training and exercising."

Mr Truss also used the launch to highlight TV, radio and newspaper advertising material produced in multiple languagesand held in reserve for immediate use in an animal disease emergency, such as foot-and-mouth disease incursion.

EDUCATION AND AWARENESS

What Blackberry is That?Cindy Hanson, Weeds Section, DPIWE


5

Those of us who thought all weedy blackberries were much the same were recently shown otherwise.

In mid-February 2004 Robyn and Bill Barker from the State Herbarium of South Australiaconducted a fascinating workshop about the finer points of blackberry identification. The focusof the day was BLACKBERRY, a web-based identification tool developed by Robyn and Billin collaboration with Dr Kathy Evans of TIAR. Robyn and Bill have taken the workshoparound Australia thanks to a NHT/WONS grant and Tassie was their last stop.

Why do we need a blackberry identification tool?

The European blackberry comprises a number of closely related plants that are commonlyreferred to by one name, the Rubus fruticosus aggregate. At least 15 species of Europeanblackberry have become naturalised in Australia, many are serious weeds and a significant

effort has gone into documenting and studying their taxonomy. The contributions of David Symon of the State Herbariumof South Australia are particularly important.

The effectiveness of management techniques for blackberry, including biological control and herbicide application, variesbetween different European blackberry species. However there is little in the way of properly documented data about thenature of these responses which in turn makes devising best practice extremely difficult. Accordingly it is crucial in the firstinstance to be able to accurately distinguish between the various blackberry species. Once a capacity for this is established,management and control information can be discussed and studied with respect to specific species.

A recent taxonomic revision of all exotic Rubus species by Kathy Evans, David Symon, M.A. Whalen, J.A. Oliver, JohnHosking and Robyn Barker provides a basis for BLACKBERRY. Covering European, North American and Asianblackberry species BLACKBERRY aims to provide a simple, accessible identification key for all Rubus species present inAustralia. Importantly it also provides a means of distinguishing native Rubus species from exotics thereby helping toprevent their unnecessary removal. The workshop presenters emphasised that BLACKBERRY is a very much a work inprogress and that feedback from users is critical to development of the final version.

Preparing to use BLACKBERRY

BLACKBERRY requires installation of LucidPlayer Standard onto a PC. The Lucid StandardPlayer and BLACKBERRY may be downloadedfrom the Electronic Flora of South Australiawebsite (www.flora.sa.gov.au). The organisersprovided a CD version to workshop attendees whohad not managed to download the tool beforehand.

Prior to applying BLACKBERRY to a range offresh and dried specimens, simple criteria forworking out whether the material at hand was infact Rubus and not something else (roses, forexample) were explained. The six Rubus subgenerapresent in Australia were outlined and the main characters used to tell apart Rubus species found in Australia described indetail. These are; growth of primocanes and floricanes; primocane structure; leaves; inflorescence and flowers and fruit.

What Blackberry is That? cont

How does BLACKBERRY work?As an identification tool, BLACKBERRY is relatively simple to use, requiring only basic computer and botanical skills. Itinvolves choosing an appropriate character set and then matching the character options with the specimen you are trying toidentify. For example, under the character of ‘Habit’, it is possible to select ‘creeping herb’, ‘erect shrub’, ‘sprawling shrub’

http://www.flora.sa.gov.au)/


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etc. As you select the appropriate character option the tool gradually eliminates from a larger list of possibilities, speciesthat do not conform with your choices. Eventually you are left with a small number of potential identifications at whichpoint you may consult detailed notes on each of these to help further narrow down your choice. BLACKBERRY comesequipped with an excellent range of images and simple ‘drag and drop’ capacity allows you to change your choice ofcharacter options when this is necessary without any drama.

What next for BLACKBERRY in Tasmania?The workshop organisers stressed that the best way for BLACKBERRY to develop and improve is if people start using itand providing feedback. Whilst discussion within DPIWE about how best to facilitate this in Tasmania will happen shortly,members of the Tasmanian Weed Society who attended the workshop were so impressed that they decided to hold aduplicate workshop/s for TWS members later in 2004. So stand by for advice on dates, times and venues.

Weedos Who are also Crossword Freaks go to:

http://plants.ifas,ufl.edu/guide for an intriguing crossword puzzle put together by the Center for Aquatic and InvasivePlants, Gainsville, Florida. Scroll through the 'contents by keyword' section until you find 'Crossword'.

Interesting snippet ... Beware the Loch Crass Monster- Australian invader threatens Scottish lochs

James Reynoldshttp://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=193392004

An aquatic plant responsible for localised extinctions of native plants in England and Wales is now spreading in Scotland,threatening to alter the fragile ecology of the country's lochs and burns.

Australian swamp stonecrop (Crassula helmsii), which was brought to the UK from Tasmania in 1911, was first detected inthe wild in 1970 in the English Home Counties, after being widely used by garden pond enthusiasts to oxygenate water.

By 1986 it had colonised 33 open water courses south of the Border, and in the following 13 years to 1999, it had spreadaggressively to a further 574 lakes and freshwater systems. It is rapidly colonising Scottish lochs, where it is out-competingand displacing native plants.

(A note - Australian swamp stonecrop is an Australian native from the Crassulaceae family found in all States andTerritories except the Northern Territory. The plant grows to 10-30 cm high and is a fast growing aquatic or creepingperennial herb and is widespread in riparian scrub, woodland, valley sclerophyll forest and grassy low open forest. It hasbeen widely promoted as an aquarium plant. The leaves are in pairs, narrow and green or reddish with tiny flowers and fourwhite petals).

Weed Science- A Call to EvolveAndrew Bishop, Senior Scientific Advisor (Biosecurity), DPIWE

For those of you who are members of the International Weed Science Society (IWSS), you will have read Steve Duke’s callto arms with respect weed science. Steve is the outgoing President of the IWWS and he used his last column as an

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=193392004


7

opportunity to provide weed scientists with some food for thought in relation to their chosen discipline. His article capturedthe attention of the wider pest management community with IPM News featuring an overview of his article. This isreprinted below:

“In a forcefully written opinion, a veteran weed scientist cautions that weed science, "a discipline founded by those whopracticed weed management almost exclusively with herbicides," must evolve quickly or face being "relegated to thedustbin of history--[as] an irrelevant or extinct discipline." Outgoing International Weed Science Society (IWSS) presidentS.R. Duke has put his finger squarely on a situation that, while perhaps best typified by weed management, broadlyencompasses many disciplines involved with pest management and clearly poses a major challenge to development andadoption of IPM. Dr. Duke used his final "President's Comments" column in the January 2004 IWSS Newsletter to pointout the chasm between hardened, often opposing philosophies of tackling the critical challenge of weed management."Apparently because of our herbicide-based origins and history," Dr. Duke wrote, "we find many individuals andorganizations interested in weed ecology, weed biology, invasive vegetation, and other non-herbicide related aspects ofweed science to have negative attitudes toward societies such as IWSS."

He advocates that, for weed science, needed change includes action such as:

• Elevating and improving the level of science conducted• Using innovative, eco-friendly strategies and technologies to solve key weed-related problems• Reaching out to those who have eschewed weed science but who could make great contributions to it with new ideas

and approaches.

The same needs apply to other elements of pest management, "traditional or alternative," where vestiges of arrogance andinflexibility can still be found. To paraphrase Duke's view, pests and invasives constitute a huge, ongoing world problem toboth agriculture and the environment. There remains a critical need to address all facets of this problem with the bestpossible blend of science and practicality meshed with awareness and sensitivity to the environment.-Reprinted from IPMnet NEWS #122, February 2004 (http://www.ipmnet.org)

The full article and newsletter can be located at:www.olemiss.edu/orgs/iws/newsletter.htm This is also a very interesting web site with lots of useful ‘weedy’ information

CRC Lord of the Weeds competition - $1,000 prize

The CRC for Australian Weed Management is running a “Lord of the Weeds” competition with $1,000 prize money. Thecompetition is open to junior and senior secondary students. The aim of the competition is for the student to design astrategy to manage weeds in the school grounds or in a local area.

Registration for competition need to be received before 24 May 2004.Closing date for the student report is 27 August 2004.http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/education_training/school_resources.html

Global Invasive Species Program (GISP) emphasises the internationalimportance of invasive plants

http://www.olemiss.edu/orgs/iws/newsletter.htm

http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/education_training/school_resources.html


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Some of you may have heard the recent media reports about the World Bank providing funds to initiate an internationalcampaign to combat pests and weeds. The actions will be implemented by the Global Invasive Species program (GISP).The following information about the GISP is extracted from their web site:

“GISP, or the Global Invasive Species Programme, was established in 1997 to address global threats caused by InvasiveAlien Species (IAS), and to provide support to the implementation of Article 8(h) of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity, the CBD. Our key partners during the initial GISP years, referred to as GISP Phase I, were the ScientificCommittee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE), CAB International (CABI) and the World Conservation Union(IUCN), partly funded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). During this initial phase of GISP thefollowing key mission, vision and objectives were developed and agreed on by our major partner organizations. Theseobjectives still guide the work of the newly established Secretariat.

GISP Phase I largely relied on the voluntary contributions from a substantial group of scientists, lawyers, and managersfrom all parts of the world. Phase II was envisaged as a contributory Partnership Network of organizations and programmesfrom around the world with an interest in IAS issues. Building on this partnership approach, GISP is continuously looking atinnovative ways of improving cooperation with our existing and new partners in the IAS world. The aim is to minimise andwhere possible eliminate, any form of duplication while maximising the effectiveness of joint programmes andpromoting the sharing of best-practice information.

GISP is in essence an enabling body, focusing on effective information exchange and networking mechanisms. To this endthe GISP Secretariat is in the process of establishing this website which will become part of the Clearing House Mechanismfor all IAS related information that relates to the Convention on Biological Diversity.”

The GISP web site is well worth a visit at http://www.gisp.org/

Read the most recent media announcement as presented on ABC radio on 6th February 2004:www.abc.net.au/newsitems/s1039880

TASMANIAN WEED SOCIETY NEWS

http://www.gisp.org/

http://www.abc.net.au/newsitems/s1039880


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Treasurer's Report 19/02/2004

Cheque No. Amount Balance

Commonwealth Cheque AccountBalance B/fwd (as at 26 November 2003)

$ 2299.75

CreditsMembershipInterestInterest (oct-nov)

35.00 .91 .51

$36.42

DebitsCAWSS Membership 2002/2003

Web-SiteGovt. Tax Govt. Tax (oct-nov)

000108000119

36.00 191.50 .80 .30

$ 228.60

Balance as at 18 February 20004

$2107.57

Term Deposit –

Interest 9 Feb Matures 9 October 2004

6102.64 59.99

$6162.63

Total of Term Deposit & Cheque Account $ 8270.20

CRC for Weed Management Systems

A visit to the CRC web site is very worthwhile. Apart from a lot of generally informative material about weed projects andthe CRC itself there is a detailed CRC publications list and a steadily expanding set of fact sheets on aspects of weedmanagement available as downloadable PDF files.Visit www.weeds.crc.org.au

TWS Submission to Senate inquiryinto the Regulation, Control and Management of Invasive Species

http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/


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As indicated in our business plan (www.tasweeds.org/businessplan.pdf), one of the goals of the TWS is to be recognised as“a leader for weed management issues”. An example of progressing this objective was the preparation of a submission forthe recent Senate inquiry into the regulation, control, and management of invasive species. This inquiry was seen by theTWS Executive as a good opportunity to add to the collective voice in relation to weed management issues. You can viewour submission on-line at:www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/ecita_ctte/invasive_species/submissions/sublist.htm.

Our submission is No. 18. You can also view the other submissions received by the inquiry from all over Australia. Manyof these focussed on weeds and make very interesting reading. A copy of this submission follows for yourinformation/reference.

Andrew BishopDevonport

The following comments and views have been compiled by the TWS Executive Committee on behalf of the TWSmembership and relate specifically to the weed components of the senate inquiry. The submission was sent to Environment,Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.

Nature and extent of the threat that invasive species pose to the Australian environment and economy:

Australia’s island status, its unique flora and fauna, and isolation make it vulnerable to the impacts of invasive species.Between European settlement and 1999, 729 non-indigenous weed species have established in Tasmania (Buchanan, 1999).Later studies indicate 765 non-indigenous weed species (TMAG, 2002). Alarmingly, the number of non-indigenous speciesnaturalised in the State increases every year and this trend is likely to continue under the present regulatory regime. Newnaturalisations are occurring as the result of plant escapes from cultivation within the State (agriculture and horticulture), orarriving as accidental new incursions to the State.

In Tasmania, the economic impact of weeds on the primary production sector is conservatively estimated to be at least $33million per annum (DPIWE, 1996). That figure includes the cost of control and the loss of primary production but does notinclude other costs such as on the environment, recreation, water resources or aesthetic impacts on tourism. Costs of non-commercial weed management in agriculture are likely to increase as market forces demand environmental accreditation oflandholders and natural resource management programs increase landholder obligations. Unfortunately there is little hard data on the spread and impact of invasive species on the environment over time but clearlyuntil recent decades there was little management of the impact of weeds on the environment. Many of the widely distributedinvasive weeds continue to spread and increase their impact on the State's ecosystems. Though no figures have been put onthe environmental costs of weeds in Tasmania, it is clear that they are considerable. Weeds are having adverse impacts onmany threatened species in Tasmania eg Callitris oblonga and remnant or threatened communities eg lowland temperategrasslands. Many common species and communities are degraded by weed incursions and this is a primary concern of mostvegetation management programs sought by the community. A number of ecosystems are now degraded throughout largeareas of the State due to the incursion of invasive weeds, eg. riparian systems (willow invasions) and coastal sand dunes(marram grass). Some invasive weeds not only compete with native species but bring about changes in natural ecosystemprocesses such as flooding, landform evolution (eg dune building and beach erosion) and fire regimes causing very seriousecological and economic impacts. Willows, gorse and marram grass are a just a few examples of these weeds. Publicamenity is affected by weeds restricting access (eg blackberry), affecting tourist values in national parks, home gardens,sport surfaces, posing a public health risk or fire hazard. Extensive Council and landholder resources are spent in managingthese impacts.

Estimated cost of different responses to environment issues associated with invasive species

The listed responses are addressed individually below. It would be appropriate though, to consider prevention in thissection as well. Prevention is one of the most cost-effective tools in weed management and serves as the key platform inIntegrated Weed Management. Preventing the problem in the first place through a range of options including quarantine,hygiene, and environmental health maintenance translates through to less chance for an invasive incident to occur.Prevention should be a specific component of the proposed invasive species threat abatement plans.

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/ecita_ctte/invasive_species/submissions/sublist.htm


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Early eradication: The next most cost-effective approach next to prevention. There are on-going costs related tothe development and maintenance of weed alert mechanisms and associated preparedness activities to enable a co-ordinatedand efficient response in the event of a detection. States are developing early detection systems, eg Weed Alert in Tasmania,which would facilitate implementation of early eradication of invasive species. Early eradication may prevent wider spreadof a problem and at the early stages a difficult invasive incident may be manageable. Costs are likely to be minimal interms of applied resources and there is a much higher chance of success. Significant impacts on the environment areavoided or minimised. Unfortunately there has been inadequate attention to managing weeds at this early stage. It requiresprocesses and information to identify sleeper and newly arrived invasive weeds and recognition by authorities and thecommunity that resources should be applied. All this may occur prior to the development of a major weed problem. Value for money is probably highest at this stage, particularly if the invasive species has not established where it has impacted onthe environment.

Containment: Containment costs can range from minimal expenditure associated with early eradication extendingto on-going high levels of cost associated with restricting an established invasive to a particular area as eradication is notconsidered possible or is considered too difficult or expensive. The latter reason is flawed, as containment is very expensivewhen applied over a long period. Additional expenses are incurred where containment provisions impact on businessenterprises in the containment area and restrict movement of people and products. Environmental costs are higher as theinvasive species will continue to impact on the environment to a greater or lesser extent depending on mitigation actions inthe containment area. However, for many invasive species present in Australia this will be the most likely option formanagement.

Damage mitigation: This course of action is one of the most difficult to employ as by the nature of choosing thismanagement option it is understood the invasive species cannot be fully checked. Often not been feasible to eradicate froma site or keep from reinvading without ongoing management input. It requires the development of adequate means ofcontrol and a rationale to determine where efforts should be focused. In many instances expensive biological controlprograms are required to manage the impacts of weeds that fall into this category. Localised efforts at damage mitigation bymanual, herbicide and other integrated techniques are similarly costly and cannot be applied on a large scale by individuallandholders or governments. A targeted approach based on a strategic focus on the assets at risk is the most effective wayof applying resources. The development of strategic national weeds plans such as under the Weeds of National Significanceprogram assists greatly with this approach. In terms of invasive incidents this may involve re-vegetation or even marketrepair/promotion if the invasive incident has damaged a particular weed-free status of an area.

Inaction: Short term costs of inaction are practically nil and this is often an attractive option for jurisdictions thathave limited budgets, or fail to understand the implications of invasive species. Mid-term costs of inaction are moderatewhere the invasive incident gradually impacts on production, trade, aesthetics, and environment. The long term costs ofinaction can be immense and translate to the most expensive response to an invasive incident. Failure to act can lead to asituation where control, management, and damage mitigation is no longer possible and the effects of the invasion have to belived with. For example, inaction on the spread of willows and marram grass in Tasmania has seen the total replacement ofnatural ecosystems where these weeds have established. Our environmental and cultural heritage is at risk and being slowlyand insidiously changed through inaction.


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Case studies in TasmaniaSerrated Tussock: Serrated tussock (Nasella trichotoma) has long been considered a significant weed threat to Tasmania’sgrazing industries, as well as the State’s native grasslands. Eradication operations commenced in the early 1950s drivenprimarily by government programs over a 25-year period. Over this time serrated tussock infestations were reduced from3200 hectares in 1959 to 800 hectares in 1977 (Harradine and Watson, 1979). Reduced resourcing for follow-up programsand priority changes in the State resulted in the weed re-establishing and wasting a proportion of the previous control effort.Since the early 1980’s there have been several smaller management programs the most recent and successful being acommunity driven program with State and Commonwealth government support. A disadvantage of these projects has beenthe short-term nature of the funding. Serrated tussock has the potential to spread to areas of conservation significance andgreatly increase it impact on agriculture if it is not effectively contained and management in the long term.

Willows: A number of invasive willow species including Crack willow (Salix fragilis) infest many natural waterways inTasmania and are considered significant environmental weeds. In recent years willows control has become an importantcomponent of river management plans for the protection of remnant vegetation, aquatic ecosystems, farm production andriver flows. Costly to manage, control, and remove and necessitating extensive re-vegetation and follow up work, this planthas featured strongly in community driven weed management programs with State and Commonwealth Governmentsupport. Control will require long term commitment to achieving strategic goals for reducing the impact on the environmentand agriculture. Current Commonwealth and State funding arrangements do not support long term control by stakeholders.Clearly the different willow taxa present in the State need to be addressed by strategies that suit their distribution and threat.For instance fertile pussy willow may be targeted for eradication statewide while containment is more suitable for crackwillow. Detailed mapping and assessment of taxa present in Tasmania was necessary to arrive at these importantmanagement decisions. This data was not available until the program it was funded through the Weeds of NationalSignificance Program. In the absence of this strategic planning process and a supporting funding program an efficientcontrol program directed at environmental outcomes could not have been developed. To do nothing would lead todevastating impacts on the Tasmanian conservation estate and river systems greatly increasing the loss of biodiversity andaffecting water use and farm productivity.

Clearly then there are two standout willow issues in Tasmania. The first is the emerging problem of non-crack willowproliferation. Several other species, and particularly Salix cinerea, are starting to show signs of being a real problem. Theexperience of NSW and Victoria suggest this must be tackled now, or the opportunity will be lost for good. This obviouslyneeds resources. However, the biggest impediment is not the amount of resource available, but the difficulty in channelingthose resources to species other than crack willow. There is no doubt that species like Salix cinerea can occupyenvironments different to those of crack willow, and can therefore have significant environmental, agricultural andeconomic impacts. The second and related issue is the fact that while almost all states have adopted uniform willowregulations, Victoria (at this stage) has not. This is resulting in the Victorian nursery industry putting considerable pressureon Tasmanian retailers and wholesalers to purchase willow species that are taxonomically difficult to positively identify,and which can slip through the current regulatory net. Consistent regulation is fundamental to willow management.Staff at the Department of Primary Industries, Water, and Environment and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery(Tasmanian Herbarium) have undertaken work in these areas and previously raised their concerns.

Blackberries: Blackberries occur throughout Tasmania and impact. In grazing situations they are managed effectively withstandard pasture maintenance programs but are a problem in poorly managed agricultural and subdivided land. They arealso a common community problem in urban areas. Their biggest impact in the State is on environmental values.Blackberries are highly invasive and have established in the remote river systems of the Tasmanian Wilderness WorldHeritage Area, one of the few weeds to do so. They are also widespread through agricultural lands were they impactseverely on remnant vegetation including many priority communities and threatened species, particularly in riparian areas.

Blackberries are taxonomically complex with many microspecies, cultivars, hybrids and undescribed taxa present. Theyinclude species grown commercially (thornless blackberries), are utilised by apiarists, and support a range of blackberryindustries and recreational uses. Competing costs and benefits of blackberries must be addressed in their management andthis is typical of many of the introduced plants used in agricultural industries that are also significant invasive weeds innative vegetation.

In Tasmania a strategy of containment in some regions and damage mitigation in others (ie threatened species sites) isadvocated. Management costs will be ongoing for this highly mobile invasive species. To do nothing would lead to totallyunacceptable conservation impacts.


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(TWS Senate Submission cont)Adequacy and effectiveness of current Commonwealth State and Territory statutory and administrationarrangements for regulation and control of invasives.

• Shifts towards permitted lists at a Commonwealth level are welcome. The assumption that all plant imports are weedsuntil proven otherwise via a scientifically based weed risk assessment (WRA) is considered a valuable check. Importassessments and approvals should not be done at higher than the species level (ie not at genera level) for effective riskassessment to be employed. WRA processes need to be maintained and regularly reviewed to ensure they aremaximising the latest in terms of risk analysis and international weed science developments

• Despite good intentions, weed legislation harmonising is needed across States/territories. The National Weeds Strategyand the Weeds of National Significance have progressed someway towards consistent national approaches to seriousweed issues.

• Regulatory responses to invasives appear to be quite varied across jurisdictions.• Developments of State/Territory weed strategies are seen as good frameworks for governments to progress responses to

weed management. Declaration of weeds under State legislation does not provide the strategic guide to protectingassets at risk or coordinated management in the manner required to get efficient use of limited control resources. Issuesstill exist of adequate funding for these strategic approaches in the jurisdictions and realistic forward commitments forfunding what is ongoing work.

• Invasive plants are often overlooked in terms of State/Territory biosecurity issues. This also occurs at the Federal levelwith organisations such as Plant Health Australia excluding weeds from their portfolios. In the same way that AnimalHealth Australia and Plant Health Australia function, equivalent mechanisms to address weeds are essential.

• The role State/territory weed societies can play in enhancing management is often overlooked by State authorities. Toenhance all aspects of weed management, stakeholder identification and subsequent collaborative approaches to theproblem are essential.

Effectiveness of commonwealth-funded measures to control invasive species

• In terms of direct Commonwealth funding this would largely consist of funds allocation to the Weeds of NationalSignificance program. The total pool of funds is relatively small and once distributed across weed issues its impact isgreatly reduced. It would be fair to say that the level of funding will not necessarily enable control but assist inmanagement operations.

• Other Commonwealth funding for weed management is a little more indirect benefiting environmental project workwhere weed management is a component of a large project eg. protection and enhancement of native remnantvegetation including re-vegetation work.

• Reasonable amounts of funding should be available for treating identified sleeper weeds. This will result in theprevention of more expensive weed management operations at a later date.

Whether the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Invasive Species) Bill 2002 couldassist in improving the current statutory and administrative arrangements for the regulation control andmanagement of invasive species.This Bill indicates benefits towards invasive species management. In the first instance this arises from a distinct focus oninvasives and recognition of medium to long term impacts. Targeted funding and a focus on rapid response translate to aninvestment in terms of invasives management.

However the Bill does not address all invasive species in Australia, as it is limited to non-native species. The increasingpopularity of native gardens in Australia has led to a second wave of invasive species derived from Australian plants grownoutside their natural range eg Paraseriathes lophantha. In many cases natural barriers to dispersal would facilitate effectivemanagement of weedy natives in affected regions of Australia eg Tasmania or Western Australia.

Another important point is the taxonomic level at which the management of importation of invasive species is required,particularly where an invasive species is also in commercial use. Applying controls at the species level only would negatethe capacity to allow subspecies, varieties or cultivars that may be in commercial production in Australia already to bepermitted entry or vice versa. For example the importation of new grass cultivars enhance the propensity for invasion ofnatural ecosystems by that species. Control costs can increase significantly with the arrival of new subspecies. eg Biologicalcontrol programs may often only work on a particular subspecies and the arrival of new subspecies will annul the control


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(TWS Senate Submission cont)

program. In the case of the taxonomically complex blackberry, importation of some taxa for commercial purposes may bepermissible but other taxa should be specifically excluded.

The Bill would benefit from complementary legislation at the State level as many of its planning functions and on groundoutcomes functions will require State participation. The Weeds of National Significance program provides some insight tothe functioning of the Bill and demonstrates the stress placed on States to participate in that program within existing stateobligations and programs. Considerable Commonwealth funding would be required to assist States and Territories toparticipate in planning and management programs under the Bill, particularly in assisting landholders who carry theresponsibility for managing the invasive species. There is likely to be problems with some sections of the Bill such asplacing a requirement for the public to include weed risk assessments in their applications for listing (266BD (3)). This is adifficult process that has taken weed scientists many years of deliberation and still isn't fully defined. The information onwhich risk assessments are made is also not readily available to the public. It would be appropriate that any relevantinformation be furnished but the process of undertaking a weed risk assessment should be done by the Commonwealth.

The scale of the WONS process and the weed risk assessments undertaken by Biosecurity Australia gives an insight to thesize of the task. Given that whole categories of plants (eg. pasture grasse)s are to be brought in, it is evident that inmanaging assessments for importation and development of threat abatement plans is going to require significant resourcesto be allocated to the program.

The Bill does not include invasive species as a matter of national environmental significance. If this were to occurenvironmental impact assessment provisions can be used under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity ConservationAct. These provisions mean that a process for the assessment of actions that have potential to impact on the matter ofenvironmental significance can be initiated. For weeds, actions might include things like the intended introduction ofspecies for pasture or other commercial, purposes, clearing land for roading, subdivisions etc. If invasive species were amatter of national environmental significance, proponents of such actions would need to go through an assessment process.It should be noted that for most threat abatement plans to be produced, the Commonwealth will be dependent on State andTerritory co-operation by virtue of the distribution of most invasive species. The legislation is likely to be ineffective in themanagement of invasive species in Australia if it does not support and encourage other jurisdictions to participate. The Billfails to address this requirement.

ReferencesBuchanan, A (Ed). (1999), A census of the vascular plants of Tasmania and Index to the Student's Flora of Tasmania, 3rdedition, Tasmanian Herbarium Occasional Publication No. 6.

DPIWE (1996) Weedplan: A Tasmanian Weed Management Strategy.

Harradine, A.R. and Watson, W.R. (1979) Eradication of Nasella trichotoma and Pennisetum macroourum in Tasmania.Proc. 7th Asian-Pacific Weed Sci. Soc. Conf., Sydney. 403-406.

TMAG (2002) Tasmanian Herbarium Plant Census. www.tmag.tas.gov.au/Herbarium/Herbarium2.htm.

Gorse flower

http://www.tmag.tas.gov.au/Herbarium/Herbarium2.htm


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Tasmanian Weed SocietySeminar and AGM

The Launceston Tramshed Function CentrInveresk Railyards (4 Invermay Road)

Tramroom 28Wednesday 31 March 2004

10.30 Seminars

• Dr John Ireson, Principal Entomologist (Biological Control), TIAR - Current Biological Control programs in Tasmania

• Matt Baker, Weed TaxonomistTasmanian Herbarium - Pussy willows in Tasmania

• Jamie Cooper, Northern Regional Weed Management Officer, DPIWE - Weed Management highlights in the North

12.00 AGM

12.30 Join us for Lunch

1.30 TWS Executive meeting

Come along and join in the fun

Got Something to Say???

As always, we would love to hear from you. Deadline for the June eis 31 May 2004.

Contact: Cindy Hanson [email protected] Leighton [email protected]

e

dition of Tasweeds

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

What Blackberry is That cont