Media Releases

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter Walsh visited Glenlyon Upper Landcare today to discuss the success of the Victorian Coalition Government’s crackdown on pests and weeds.
The Landcare group wrote to Mr Walsh early last year with concerns about an inadequate response to gorse infestations by the former Labor Government.
“I am now pleased to say that thanks to an additional $21.2 million we allocated in the State Budget to boost the fight against pests and weeds, the situation has improved dramatically,” Mr Walsh said.
“Department of Primary Industries (DPI) officers have inspected 143 properties in the Glenlyon, Lauriston and Ashbourne areas since July 2011.
“We take the issue of weed control very seriously and DPI officers will be returning to the inspected properties in February to follow up on compliance,” Mr Walsh said.
Across Victoria, DPI officers inspected 2,768 properties from July to December 2011 compared to just 1,290 the previous year.
“The government is committed to taking action against those landholders who allow their properties to become a haven for pests and weeds,” Mr Walsh said.
Mr Walsh said the former Labor Government had walked away from controlling widespread weeds such as gorse and blackberry.
“The fact that more than one in five properties inspected required an improvement notice is proof the state went backwards under Labor’s lax approach,” Mr Walsh said.
Mr Walsh said DPI inspectors would target weed enforcement actions to support communities where landholders were working together to co-ordinate pest control action, for example through Landcare groups or weed taskforces.
The department is implementing 90 weed enforcement projects across Victoria to support community-led action on weeds.