PESTS ACROSS SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND UNDER THE GUN

Pest animals and weeds across South East Queensland are in the firing line following the approval of five projects worth almost $675,000 under an historic Queensland Government pest program.

Natural Resources and Water Minister Craig Wallace today announced successful projects under the Queensland Government’s $11 million Reclaim the Bush: A Pest Offensive, part of the government’s Blueprint for the Bush initiative.

Recipients and their partner organisations will contribute a further $17.9 million in cash and in-kind support, taking the Pest Offensive’s total to almost $28.2 million.

Burnett Mary Regional Group will receive $90,000 to fight rubber vine, while Gayndah, Kingaroy, Kolan and Nanango Shire Councils will receive more than $586,000 for pest animals and weed spread prevention.

Mr Wallace said pest animals and invasive weeds were a significant threat to Queensland, costing the state more than $700 million a year in lost production and control costs.

“Last year, my department called for applications for funding under the Pest Offensive,” Mr Wallace said.

“We encouraged projects that demonstrated partnerships with local government, regional natural resource management groups and Indigenous communities and we gave preference to collaborations that aligned pest management and natural resource management plans,’’ he said.

Mr Wallace said Kingaroy Shire Council would receive more than $260,000 to control feral pigs and wild dogs and raise community awareness about the threats they pose.

“This regional project will use an effective, sustainable approach to control these pest animals. The community will be engaged and a regional feral animal coordinator will be employed.”

Mr Wallace said Nanango Shire Council’s allocation of $191,000 would fund a new, automated wash-down facility.

“This facility will feature compressed air and full water recycling,” Mr Wallace said.

“Wash-down facilities help to reduce the spread of weed seed.”

Mr Wallace congratulated the groups on the high quality of their proposals, saying the work they were doing was vitally important.

A list of successful projects in south east Queensland is below.

Media inquiries: Paul Childs, Craig Wallace’s office, on 0407 131 654.