More support for communities to tackle pests

TWO local Landcare networks, Bass Coast and South Gippsland, have been awarded $71,992 in grants as part of the governments Partnerships Against Pests grant program.

Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence today awarded grants totalling $500,000 to 16 Victorian organisations as part of the Partnership Against Pests Program – which delivers industry and community-led actions that target weeds and pests in key agricultural areas.

Bass Coast Landcare Network has been awarded $38,200 for ‘Building capacity against complacency’ – This project will increase awareness of weeds and pest animals with new residents and disengaged landowners through workshops, a calendar, new resident packs, roadside signs, and community meetings. The group will convene quarterly stakeholder meetings to coordinate control efforts. The project will focus on weed species of greatest community concern, rabbits, and foxes. The group have collaborated with Bass Coast Shire Council, Bunurong Land Council, Parks Victoria, and Phillip Island Nature Parks.

South Gippsland Landcare Network’s ‘Community-led action for pest and weed control in South Gippsland’ will receive $33,792 to deliver a range of initiatives including a seminar with guest speakers on weeds and pest animals. Two community management groups will be established for local collaborative action. The groups will hold field workshops with technical experts on target species. The project will also engage with Traditional Owners to share information and build partnerships. Project partners include the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority and the South Gippsland Shire Council.

Established weeds and pest animals damage our landscapes, impact agricultural production, are a risk to international market access and damage culturally sensitive sites. They are estimated to cost Victorian farmers $869 million every year in management and lost production costs.

Grants delivered through the Partnership Against Pests Program will ensure the people most affected by widely established invasive species are central to identifying problems, creating strategies and solutions that help limit their spread and reduce their impact.

For more information about the Partnership Against Pests Grants Program, including a full list of Round 2 grant recipients, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au.