Agriculture
13 July, 2026
The warriors tackle weeds on the mount
WEEDS have been removed and wheel cactus stabbed at Mount Korong over the weekend.
WEEDS have been removed and wheel cactus stabbed at Mount Korong over the weekend.
The environmental clean-ups were part of a Mount Korong Ecowatch’s working bee where members also had a presentation from ecologist and orchid specialist Julie Radford on caring for4 a local population of the critically endangered orchid pterostylus valida - robust greenhood orchid.
The group also mapped sites of the orchid.
Korong Ridge Conservation Estate is a 1000-hectare area that envelops the east and north east sides of the Mount Korong Nature Conservation Reserve. Mount Korong and the adjoining estate is a large refuge for indigenous flora and a fauna.
The group earlier this year conducted a wheel cactus control and equipment maintenance workshop.
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New environment laws ‘shift how farms are managed’
FARMERS may now need federal approval before clearing vegetation that has not been cleared in the past 15 years under new laws.
Changes to the Federal Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act came into effect in December and the newly formed National Environmental Protection Agency began enforcement last week.
Victorian Farmers Federation says new laws have made it harder for farmers to manage their own land, with many now facing confusing rules, costly assessments and the risk of severe penalties for everyday farming activities.
President Ryan Milgate said the changes had fundamentally shifted the way farmers were being told to manage their properties.
“These laws have changed the question farmers ask every day. Instead of asking, ‘can I manage this part of my farm?’, we’re now asking, ‘do I need the Federal Government’s permission to keep farming?’. That’s a major change and most Victorian farmers don’t even know it has happened,” Mr Milgate said.
The Federal Government is developing a draft guide to explain the new rules, but the document is more than 50 pages long.
“If it takes more than 50 pages to explain the law, it’s a pretty good sign it’s too complicated.”
“Farmers shouldn’t have to become environmental lawyers and ecologists just to decide whether they can clear regrowth, remove weeds or carry out normal farm maintenance,” Mr Milgate said.
“Farmers want to do the right thing for the environment. We care deeply about the land we look after, but the rules need to be clear, practical and workable. Right now, they’re none of those things and the way it is now, no one stands to benefit,” he said.
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