NZ Boneseed Blitz For Australia Weeds Conference

N e w s R e l e a s e

August 9, 2007

NZ Boneseed Blitz For Australia Weeds Conference

One of New Zealand’s major success stories in eliminating the invasive weed boneseed will be showcased at a major conference in Geelong this month.

Boneseed and the closely related Bitou Bush – both originally from South Africa -are among Australia’s worst weeds because of their environmental impact, invasive nature, and aggressive spreading habits.

Boneseed is listed as one of Australia’s 20 Weeds of National Significance, invading bushland in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia. Bitou bush has invaded over 80% of the NSW coastline and threatens Victoria and Queensland.

The National Bitou Bush and Boneseed Forum on August 28 and 29 in Geelong will unite scientists, land managers and community members from five Australian States and from New Zealand to share knowledge on research and management for these two destructive weeds.

Australia’s National Coordinator for Bitou Bush and Boneseed, Hillary Cherry, said delegates would examine community success stories, current biological control efforts, and new ideas for monitoring and management.

“Boneseed grows fast and quickly colonises coastal and inland sites, shading out native seedlings and displacing indigenous vegetation. Mature bushes can produce up to 50,000 seeds a year that are spread by birds and other animals, making boneseed exceptionally invasive,” Ms Cherry said.

“The New Zealand success near Christchurch is very encouraging, and Australian delegates will be looking very closely at how they’ve achieved it” Ms Cherry said.

Keith Briden from the NZ Department of Conservation has helped spearhead the NZ project, and will visit Australia to present a paper at the conference.

“We have successfully removed the weed from 95 per cent of the Godley Head/Port Hills area, clearing the way for an ecological safe-haven in a coastal park development near Christchurch. What remains is mostly on inaccessible cliffs,” Mr Briden said.

“The work has been done over several years, with a determined effort by both government and community volunteers. The project is an excellent example of what communities can achieve by working together to get rid of weeds impacting on the local environment,” he said.

“This conference will assist Australia and New Zealand in working together to combat this destructive weed threatening our local environments,” Mr Briden said.

ENDS

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