FUNDING TO TACKLE PESTS IN SOUTH GIPPSLAND. 

The Allan Labor Government is funding the South Gippsland Landcare Network to tackle pests and weeds in the local region, as one of 16 grants announced statewide. 

The Landcare Network will receive $33,792 for a range of initiatives, including seminars and the establishment of two community management groups, in a bid to crack down on both pests and weeds. The network will also work with Traditional Owners to share information and build partnerships. 

The Victorian Government has committed $500,000 in the latest round of grants, as part of the Partnership Against Pests Program, to tackle invasive species, which are thought to cost Victorian farmers $869 million each year. 

Established weeds and pest animals damage our landscapes, impact agricultural production, are a risk to international market access, and damage culturally sensitive sites. 

Grants delivered through the Partnership Against Pests Program will ensure the people most affected by widely established invasive species are central to identifying problems, creating strategies and solutions that help limit their spread and reduce their impact. 

Projects being funded will improve local knowledge, capability and encourage collective efforts to manage local established weeds and pests. 

The Bass Coast Landcare Network will also be funded under the scheme. 

This follows $250,000 already awarded through the Program to support the work of Victoria’s four Community Pest Management Groups - the Victorian Rabbit Action Network, the Victorian Blackberry Taskforce, the Victorian Serrated Tussock Working Party and the Victorian Gorse Taskforce.  

For more information about the Partnership Against Pests Grants Program, including a full list of Round 2 grant recipients, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au. 

Quote attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh: 

"I regularly see the great work that Landcare groups do, and these funds will mean they can continue to remove weeds and pests." 

Quote attributable to South Gippsland Landcare Network Landcare Facilitator Jane McKenzie Smith: 

“SGLN have identified pests and weeds as an on-going, major threat to biodiversity and agricultural production in the region. This funding will help us build on work we’ve already commenced to target this threat.”