Queenslanders join the search to stop weed invasion

Primary Industries and Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin today thanked Queenslanders for responding to the call to help track down the devastating pest weed Mexican feather grass.

Mr Mulherin said: “Mexican feather grass was recently discovered in Brisbane and investigations found that a number of the plants had come in from Victoria.

“They were labelled incorrectly by an interstate supplier and the challenge for Biosecurity Queensland has been to track down all the plants that were sold here.

“Since one of our officers spotted a rogue plant in Brisbane, we have successfully located and retrieved two-thirds of the Mexican feather grass plants from a range of Brisbane suburbs and regional locations

“Biosecurity officers around the state have been busy chasing leads, mapping possible distribution paths, visiting properties, analysing and removing the plants.

“Queensland nurseries and residents have been very helpful with reporting sightings, and with not removing the weeds themselves. But we are asking for continued vigilance to recover the remaining plants,” Mr Mulherin said.

Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F), Biosecurity Queensland General Manager, Dr Bruce Wilson said: “The information we have from the supplier shows there are still more plants which we have not tracked down.

“We need to trace and eradicate all of them before the weed has a chance to establish itself in Queensland.”

“This pest weed has the potential to cause severe environmental damage to native grasslands.

“It is a low protein fibrous grass which has no grazing value and would make pasture lands virtually worthless.

“This could critically impact the Queensland environment, lifestyle and economy,” Dr Wilson said.

The weed plants were mistakenly labelled as Stipa capriccio by an interstate supplier who sold the stocks to a Queensland production nursery – who then sold the plants to retail outlets.

John McDonald from Nursery and Garden Industry Queensland said they were working closely with Biosecurity Queensland to help trace all the plants.

“We are encouraging nurseries to contact DPI&F with any information given to them by the public regarding Mexican feather grass,” Mr McDonald said.

Biosecurity Queensland is working closely with the Victorian Government and other States through the national Consultative Committee for Exotic Plant Incursions on the eradication program.

For further information and photographs of Mexican feather grass, visit www.dpi.qld.gov.au or call the DPI&F Business Information Centre on 13 25 23.

Minister’s Media: 32396530

DPI&F Media Contact: Avi Terkowski 3234 1182.