Community-centred attack on weeds and pests gathers pace

LANDCARE alliance Nature Network Bendigo has welcomed a $27,400 contribution from the State Government towards its Bendigo Rabbit and Weeds Community Action project.

The project aims to build the capacity of property owners and Landcare volunteers in the Greater Bendigo community to manage pest plants and animals on urban and peri-urban properties via a community awareness and engagement campaign.

The campaign will include on-ground, in-person education and discussions, distribution of reference material and the development of various action plans.

The group will also deliver three collaboratively designed farm-walk type events.

The funding is one of 27 community-led initiatives being backed by round four of the State Government’s $5 million Partnerships Against Pests grants program.

Other recipients include the Up2Us Landcare Alliance in north east Victoria to support its $50,000 Rooted in Resilience, Collaborative Solutions for Blackberry and Gorse project.

The East Gippsland Landcare Network has also been awarded $33,970 to go towards its Pests in Focus – Educating East Gippsland at the Field Days project.

Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence said the grants are all about “putting the power in the hands of locals, the people who know their areas best and can lead the charge to tackle pests and weeds and protect the places we all care about”.

“These projects will harness the wealth of grassroots experience across our state, helping to enhance local expertise and ensure these valuable skills are passed on for generations to come,” she said.

Find out more on the Agriculture Victoria website.