General News
1 November, 2022
Super cell cactus threat
FARMERS fear wheel cactus cells near Maldon and Mount Buckrabanyule could join, risking productivity of more Loddon farm land. Victorian Farmers’ Federation Wedderburn branch president Graham Nesbit said Sunday Morning Hills in Kooyoora State Park...
FARMERS fear wheel cactus cells near Maldon and Mount Buckrabanyule could join, risking productivity of more Loddon farm land.
Victorian Farmers’ Federation Wedderburn branch president Graham Nesbit said Sunday Morning Hills in Kooyoora State Park would become “the next hot spot for wheel cactus without an appropriate level of funding and control plan”.
“There’s now so much in Sunday Hills and there’s a lot of country there that people probably don’t know how much it has spread,” Mr Nesbit said.
“There are hectares and hectares and it’s wild country. Most won’t see the wheel cactus until it is too late.
“Guys on the ground (trying to control) know what’s there but I don’t know if further up the chain appreciates that we are facing losing the battle.
“If the cell at Maldon joins with Buckranbanyule, there will be a super cell and the damage will be immense across currently productive land.”
Mr Nesbit said that without proper funding and resources, the potential for disaster was greater.
“At the moment, we’ve still heard nothing about any grand plan to fund control programs,” he said.
“It just seems to be off the radar of the State Government and Department of Environment, Water, Land and Planning.”
Wedderburn branch has been vocal for more than 12 months with calls for funding to control increasing infestation of wheel cactus across the Loddon.
Mr Nesbit said some teams had been working the area over the last month stabbing plants “but without an adequate program we will lose the battle”.,
“The risk of a super cell developing backs up the need for urgent and concerted action to protect land,” he said.