The Hon Katrina Hodgkinson MP Minister for Primary Industries Minister for Small Business

MEDIA RELEASE **Note: Full breakdown on funding allocations attached** Tuesday 12 November 2013

$11 MILLION INJECTION FOR WAR ON WEEDS Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson has today announced the full list of projects for ongoing noxious weed control – worth more than $11 million – which the NSW Government will fund in the 2013-14 financial year. Ms Hodgkinson also revealed that close to 200,000 kilometres of weed pathways – covering an area of 800,000 hectares – has been inspected for new invasive weeds as part of the NSW Government’s Weed Action Program. “The NSW Government is investing more into weed management than ever before, up from the $10.8 million allocated last financial year,” Ms Hodgkinson said. “Thirteen Weed Management Authorities will share in $8.5 million in funding to carry out weed management, while the Department of Primary Industries and other partners will lead a range of State-wide projects totalling more than $1.5 million. “The NSW Government is committed to continue to wage a war against weeds. “The Weeds Action Program is just one of the weapons in our arsenal to manage problem weeds in this State, which cost farmers around $1.2 billion a year in control and lost production.” Ms Hodgkinson said the Weeds Action Program has also developed and implemented early detection capabilities, inspecting more than 60,000 suspected new weed incursions and identifying more than 6000 high-priority sites for the management of widespread weeds. “A range of innovative weeds projects throughout NSW will also receive close to $1 million worth of funding,” Ms Hodgkinson said. “This funding will bolster and fund a range of projects across NSW, including new work into herbicide trials for the effective control of Serrated Tussock. “Preliminary findings into the pre-emergence control of this weed are looking promising and it is hoped that once developed through further testing, these new treatments are likely to be used as alternatives or complements to existing control measures.”

2013/14 Weed Management Funding Proponent Northern Inland Weeds Advisory Committee New England Weeds Authority Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation Mid North Coast Weeds Coordinating Committee (NSW Biocontrol taskforce) NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service NSW Department of Primary Industries NSW Department of Primary Industries Far North Coast Weeds (on behalf of NCWAC)

Property Management Authority / Crown Lands NSW Department of Primary Industries NSW Department of Primary Industries NSW Department of Primary Industries NSW Department of Primary Industries NSW Department of Primary Industries Mid Western Regional Council Sydney Weeds Committee

Cooma Monaro Shire Council Southern Councils Group Palerang Council

Project Name

Allocation $

Integrated aerial surveillance, thermal imaging and mapping pilot program 115,712 DNA Barcoding of selected invasive perennial grasses

143,360

State Weed Biological Control Capacity Building 49,920 Increased detection, management and awareness of Orange Hawkweed Noxious and Environmental Weed Control Handbook Development Online database for new and emerging Weed Risk Management assessments IT Regional Enhancement combined with similar projects from Murrumbidgee CMA and Southern Tablelands Weeds Group INNOVATIVE TOTAL Improved coordination of weed management on Crown Lands Parthenium response - Biosecurity Borders 2011-15 Capacity Building and Regional Engagement 2010-15 Improved Management of Aquatic Weeds 2010-15 New Incursion Response 2010-15 WAP Coordination and Management Serrated Tussock - Landscape Solutions 2010-15 Hawkesbury Aquatic Weeds Supplement 2013-15 STATE TOTAL Reducing the risk of invasive species to protect the environment and agricultural assets of the Monaro and NSW 2010-15 South Coast Regional Weeds Action Program 2010-15 Southern Tablelands New and Emerging Weed Program 2010-15

147,149 30,720 130,560

316,022 933,443

187,269 174,457 312,115 187,269 156,058 276,480 135,250 130,000 1,558,898

283,714 476,758 588,255

Proponent

Project Name

Riverina (Lower Murray Darling, Lachlan, Murray and Murrumbidgee Catchments) WAP 2010-15 Upper Hunter Weeds Hunter-Central Coast Regional Weed Authority Management Project 2010-15 Upper Hunter County Upper Hunter Invasive Plant Council Management Project 2010-15 Lachlan Regional Weed Management Cowra Shire Council Program 2010-15 Macquarie Invasive Species Project Cabonne Shire Council 2010-15 Northern Inland Weeds Northern Inland NSW Weed Action Advisory Committee Program 2010-15 Upper Macquarie County Council UMCC Noxious Weeds Program 2010-15 (UMCC) Mid North Coast Weeds Advisory MNCWAC Strategic Invasive Weeds Plan Committee 2010-15 (MNCWAC) Far North Coast North Coast Weed Action Program 2010Weeds 15 Sydney Weeds Sydney Weed Action 2010-15 Committee REGIONAL TOTAL Greater Hume Shire Council

State and regional partners

Requested enhancements of existing and new innovative projects 2013-14 TOTAL

Allocation $ 1,322,841 448,998 209,093 317,899 1,159,743 1,089,818

224,719

452,026 956,046 876,705 8,406,615 219,894 11,118,850