When it comes to minimising the impact of invasive and introduced species in Australia, every little bit counts. Whether it’s escaped garden weeds, cats, feral pigs or even seastars, our country is riddled with thousands of pests that thrive here due to a lack of natural predators.
In the ACT, the government recently installed a total of seven “boot cleaners” around the Namadgi National Park, about 40 kilometres southwest of Canberra. According to the territory’s Parks and Conservation Service, the cleaners play a crucial role in “helping to stop the spread of any weeds and seeds on your shoes”.
While some people responding to announcement, questioned whether taxpayers’ funding could’ve been better spent, a spokesperson for the Invasive Species Council praised the strategy.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Lyall Grieve, the Council’s biosecurity and conservation analyst, labelled the move a “great initiative”.
Whether it’s on the side of the road, or in our gardens, invasive weeds occupy large parts of Australia. Source: SA Arid Lands Landscape Board
Boot cleaners a ‘critical’ step in safeguarding local ecosystems
Invasive species are a significant environmental and economic burden in Australia, costing the economy billions of dollars annually.
“This is critical … in the effort to prevent the spread of weeds and diseases like phytophthora, a fungus that infects our forests including iconic species like gum trees,” Grieve told Yahoo.
“If we can prevent a few seeds getting into Namadgi Park, it is money well spent as we would have nowhere near the resources or funding to tackle it if it were to get out of control. It’s little cost for significant prevention. This should be standard everywhere that phytophthora is present or a risk.”
Grieve added that foot scrubs are standard biosecurity “on any farm that you might visit” so “why shouldn’t we treat our precious national parks with the same care?”.
From feral animals to introduced weeds, these species outcompete native flora and fauna, disrupt ecosystems, and require extensive resources for control and management.
The financial toll is estimated to exceed $25 billion each year, encompassing losses in agriculture, biodiversity decline, and control measures.
Australians are being warned to report encounters with green cestrum, a deadly and invasive plant species found all over the country. Source: Facebook/Michelle Ingrham
Weeds alone account for a considerable portion of this cost. Over $5 billion annually is spent on weed control and lost productivity in agriculture.
Invasive plants such as gamba grass, lantana, and serrated tussock spread rapidly, smothering native vegetation and creating fire hazards. Gamba grass, for example, increases the intensity of wildfires, threatening native species and infrastructure. Farmers also face reduced crop yields and higher expenses due to these weeds infiltrating their fields and grazing lands.
Australia has stringent biosecurity measures to prevent the introduction of invasive species, but many weeds were introduced intentionally for agriculture, landscaping, or erosion control before their environmental impacts were understood.
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