Landowners in the Upper Macleay and eastern Northern Tablelands areas impacted by Tropical Soda Apple will be pleased to know the highly invasive weed has been found eligible to move to stage 2 of 4 stages of being listed on the National Established Weed Priorities list.
This is a small but welcome step for the affected farmers and landholders who have been burdened with the cost and responsibility of controlling the weed on private property.
Nationals Members for Oxley, Michael Kemp, and Northern Tablelands, Brendan Moylan, have met landowners on the Upper Macleay to discuss the escalating spread of the highly invasive weed and share their concerns about the current management strategies that they say are simply not working.
"The problem is, it's coming out of the riparian areas, from what is largely government land, onto farmers' land and the farmers are now bearing the cost of controlling it," Mr Kemp said.
"Farmers simply can't keep up both financially or physically and even more concerning, several landholders have received very significant fines and control orders for a problem that is not of their causing.
"If Tropical Soda Apple can be listed on the National Established Weed Priorities list, it will put this highly invasive weed on the "radar" and open up funding opportunities," Mr Moylan said.
"Tropical soda apple is easily spread and is already well established in the Upper Macleay and is now moving into the Northern Tablelands.
"Both Michael and I are calling on the State Government to accept that this weed is a serious threat to our biosecurity. Instead of issuing fines and control orders the government should be working with our farmers to control this weed and protect our delicate environment and productive farmland," said Mr Moylan.
