Agriculture
29 April, 2026
Supply stop: gun maintenance vital
MAINTENANCE of cactus stabbing guns has become more vital since the import halt of favoured weapon of weed warriors.
MAINTENANCE of cactus stabbing guns has become more vital since the import halt of favoured weapon of weed warriors.
The heightened importance of maintenance and use of the guns was a key message from James Stewart at last Saturday’s Mt Korong Ecowatch workshop in Inglewood.
“We were lucky to get 15 gun kits for the workshop,” said organiser Kate Lee.
“The stop on imports from the United States after the manufactuer made changes in Australian distribution will be a problem into the future unless they decide to resume supplies,” she said.
James, who has experience on the frontline in the crusade against weeds including wheel cactus in his job with Parks Victoria, said: “Maintenance is now really important. It could be a year or more before the gun kits are available again in Australia.”
He said the modified sheep drench needle apparatus was the key tool in poisoning wheel cactus.
Both Kate and James said there had been successes in the fight against the declared weed.
“We have around four working bees a year stabbing wheel cactus at Mt Korong and that area is now pretty much under control,” Kate said. James said there had also been some success combating the cactus around Charlton.
Work was happening on public and private land, he said. And according to Kate, there was also concern among local Landcare groups with the spread of prickly pear, or Indian fig, cactus.
“I do wish it was also declared a weed. It’s now becoming as invasive as wheel cactus and seeds being spread by birds,” she said.
“Wheel cactus and prickly pear are the same genus, just different specia,” she said. Kate said Buckabanyule remained the epicentre of wheel cactus in the region and was spreading around Borung.
Landcare groups and local farmers have spent the past five years calling for greater assistance from the State Goverment to combat wheel cactus as it spreads onto productive agricultural land.
Read More: Loddon Shire, Inglewood