On Monday, July 14, Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority began to target the invasive species, which is a significant competitor with native vegetation in the subject area.
GB CMA river health officer Christine Glassford said the process would be beneficial to the natural stasis of the area.
“It’s a bulb, so it spreads from seed to seed and also through bulb division, and in this environment, it’s sandy along the Hughes Creek, and there’s a capacity to transport seed and bulb through flood events, hence its capacity to occupy this space quite readily,” Ms Glassford said.
“We’d much rather see native grasses and hedges doing that role — they’re part of the natural environment, so they have more of a symbiotic relationship with a lot of the insects and terrestrial species, as well as the aquatic.”
In targeting the weed, GB CMA will be undertaking spraying of the plant, using two different chemicals as a controlled comparison, using glyphosate for one patch and, what is commercially known as Brush Off for another.
Ms Glassford said the process would also involve targeting the weed’s growth stage.
“We’re applying the herbicide now while the plant is putting all that energy into growing, so that, ideally, it’s transporting that chemical more thoroughly through the plant and also ideally preventing it from reaching reproductive age,” she said.
The five days of control finished on Friday, July 18, and it will likely take a month before onlookers see the leaf die back.
The trial will allow GB CMA to compare the results of each chemical, so when the weed is revisited this time next year, there will be a better idea of which chemical is most appropriate to diminish its presence in the area.
Ms Glassford said another key aspect of the control efforts was the protection of a species native to the area.
“Hughes Creek is a priority stream because there’s some important fish presence, and one of those is a threatened species, being the Macquarie perch, which is why we have the funding capacity to try and improve the natural environment of Hughes Creek,” she said.
“It’s a lovely waterway in its own right, but that enables a little bit more of a funding focus because it’s supporting the resilience of a threatened species.
“The more we can improve the habitat for that species — and all other natives whether it’s aquatic or terrestrial species — the more we can make the environment as natural as possible, the more it’s going to be able to support a diversity of a species.”
The control effort is part of flood recovery, funded by the Victorian Government and Mitchell Shire Council’s Roadside Weeds and Pest Program.
Ms Glassford encourages anyone with queries to reach out by emailing christineg@gbcma.vic.gov.au
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