General News
6 March, 2026
How it all began
Despite the long and ongoing discussion about all sorts of weeds, pest animals and with a dedicated agency to stop new imports carrying diseases and possibly runaway plants.
We have quarantine systems that is equally as strong as any country in the world.
Yet, there are still new plants, viruses and contraband cracking our tight entrance program.
The whole community has paid for security systems and loss to industry.
In the case of our products that need to be brought in to the country it must be challenging to make sure the products are clean and healthy from start to finish which means inspections and decision makers all functioning together towards maintaining clean systems.
Other wise it will condemn farmers, gardeners and shires to lifelong challenges of keeping our districts time consuming and costly efforts to maintain.
Many of our weeds came into the country before quarantines were put into place and then there was no real technology to detect any unwanted vegetation.
Animals such as foxes, rabbits, hares and cats were introduced deliberately as possible game animals or pets or food for the population.
We knew no better at the time.
Now the scientists, researchers and citizen observers for some time are telling us some truths after careful studies.
Many of the seed problem comes directly out of the garden trade.
This is not always recognised so the seed gets potted up and released for sale.
It is then bought by a gardener with space to spare and a keen eye for future color and growth, it might sit there for weeks and months.
A time will arise when the wind blows and before the blink of an eye the plant is the over the fence and the colorful little bush is allowed to continue growing out the gate and taken out in the paddocks and along the roadsides.
Then it becomes a community problem and the local landcare group has to clean up the escapees.
Lots of communities are excited about visitors and tourists and rightly so but these groups need to check around to make sure there are no unsightly weeds taking pride of place were there should be good bushland.
I notice St Johns wort appearing on some roadsides and highways.