Research to hit wandering weed

By Paul Pickering
FRUSTRATED hills environmentalists rejoiced last week at the announcement of a new research project aimed at eradicating an invasive weed that has emerged to threaten the landscape.
The allocation of $456,000 towards developing a battle plan to fight the aggressive wandering trad weed was rubber-stamped by Federal Minister for Environment and Water Resources Malcolm Turnbull on Monday 22 October.
Wandering trad is a fast-growing succulent creeping plant that develops dense mats that smother the ground and prevent natural regeneration of native shrubs and trees.
Particularly rife by the creeks in Belgrave and Selby, wandering trad is also a known cause of allergies for household pets.
La Trobe MP Jason Wood, who has joined local environmental groups in regular weed-pulling sessions throughout the hills, said the funding would go towards ecological studies – conducted by the University of Melbourne – and early development stages of a possible biological control mechanism.
“The weed threatens to engulf substantial areas of the beautiful forest gullies and streams in the Dandenong Ranges,” Mr Wood explained.
“Two nationally endangered Australian native plants are particularly vulnerable to wandering trad so controlling this insidious weed will assist threatened species conservation.”
Mr Wood said that he is also urging the State Government to officially recognise wandering trad as an environmental weed which would mean that it could not be sold at nurseries.
While Shire of Yarra Ranges mayor Tim Heenan applauded the funding.
He said the shire was still seeking an election commitment of $10 million over five years to combat rampant ivy and other environmental weeds.
“We do believe there are far more serious concerns around weeds, such as the need to eradicate English ivy, which has spread widely in many forests and roadside reserves,” Cr Heenan said.
Mr Wood said that he was also keen to secure further funding for the battle against weeds in the Dandenong Ranges.