Roadside Joint Key message to Local Government (MAV & DPI)
Since 2005 the Department of Primary Industries (DPI), Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) have been working through the issues associated with responsibility for pest management on roadsides. The issue of managing invasive plants and animals on roadsides is principally regulated by the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. It is however, affected by other legislation including the Road Management Act 2004 and the Local Government Act 1989.
As a way forward, The Minister for Agriculture has decided to establish an independently chaired working party comprising of officers from the MAV, Department of Primary Industries and other key stakeholders to examine the fundamental questions of what the objective of roadside weed and pest animal management is, who is best placed to efficiently and effectively deliver it and potential legislative options to provide best outcomes. A starting point for this approach is recognition by all parties that it is time to take a fresh look at the issue in the context of wider biosecurity and land management policy developments. Relevant to this is the biosecurity approach to pest management which seeks to protect Victoria from invasive plants and animals by improving decision making and investment for prevention and early intervention, eradication, containment and asset-based protection (see Figure 1).
Progress to date has been slowed by the complexity generated by 15 years of incremental statutory amendments combined with a diversity of both road ownership and management along with varying levels of information about thousands of kilometres of roadsides some of which may have received scant government attention over the last 100 years. The current situation is that the Victorian Government, municipal council or the adjoining landowner may all be responsible or not for managing declared weeds or pest animals depending upon the categorisation of the pest and status of the road. Given that the incremental creep of administrative complexity has been accompanied by an increasing awareness of biosecurity risks and improved management methods it is an opportune time to re-examine the current roadside pest and weed regime with a view to improving its efficiency and effectiveness.
In the interim, to enable pest management on roadsides to take place in the most practical and effective way possible, DPI will continue to work in partnership with MAV and municipal councils by offering the Roadside Grants program over the next year. This program will operate on a ‘without prejudice’ basis and therefore ongoing responsibility will not be assumed to lie with councils.
This program will run for the next year and will comprise a number of calls for applications. Details will be provided on www.dpi.vic.gov.au/lgpartnerships. The administrative process that delivered the first two rounds of the roadside grants program will be reviewed to increase efficiency and address the project requirements of councils
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Figure 1: Generalised invasion curve showing action appropriate at each stage. |
Current responses to Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the ‘Building the Capacity of Local Government to Respond to Pests’ Project?
The project is part of the Victorian Government’s $205 million four-year Future Farming Strategy announced in April 2008. The project is aimed at building a partnership with municipal councils to manage Regionally Prohibited weeds, Regionally Controlled Weeds and Established Pest Animals on roadsides in Victoria.
2. Who is responsible for managing weeds and pest animals on roadsides?
The complexity of the issue is now understood to be greater than originally thought and there is ongoing discussion of what the practical consequences of the current situation are for different parties. The State Government has been working with the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) to develop effective future arrangements. While this is happening, a grants program will be made available to municipal councils to manage pests on roadsides to meet immediate needs.
3. What assistance will DPI be providing?
- The Brumby Government’s $205 million Future Farming Strategy included a significant allocation to fund a range of activities in tackling weeds and pests. As part of this strategy, we are committed to helping councils perform on-ground pest management, strategic planning and capacity building activities in regional and interface councils across Victoria.
- The Future Farming Strategy project, ‘Building the Capacity of Local Government to Respond to Pests’ (BCLG) will provide funding for local government without prejudice, to work in partnership with State Government to manage Regionally Prohibited weeds, Regionally Controlled Weeds and Established Pest Animals on roadsides in Victoria.
4. What are the next steps?
The Government will continue to work with the MAV on the issue of roadside weeds and pests. Information about the Interim Roadsides Grants program for 2010-11 will be communicated in the near future.
As a way forward an independently chaired working party comprising MAV, Department of Primary Industries and other key stakeholders will examine the fundamental questions of what the objective of roadside weed and pest animal management is, who is best placed to deliver it and how legislation should be used to provide best outcomes.
5. Is this a $20 million interim grants program?
No. This is just one part of a much larger, four-year $20 million funding allocation for a wide range of actions to tackle weeds and pests. This interim funding program relates to just one of those areas - supporting local government in the management of roadside pests. The remainder of the $20 million will be committed to other aspects, including:
- developing incursion and treatment plans for regionally prohibited weeds;
- improving early response capability for new and emerging pests in a changing climate;
- increasing voluntary compliance for regionally controlled weeds;
- more effectively controlling weeds and pests on public land by expanding the Government’s Good Neighbour Program;
- improving the use of bio-controls for management of widespread weeds;
- reviewing wild dog management options;
- increasing community involvement in more targeted programs for integrated fox management.
Additional Question:
What is the objective of the grants program?
The grants program is designed to manage the priority threats posed by Regionally Prohibited and Regionally Controlled Weeds and established pest animals on roadsides while an improved approach is developed.
6. How much funding is available for each council?
Costs will vary from council to council according to the size of the current infestations on their roadsides and the way they choose to deal with it. Funding will be allocated on an as needs basis for councils to deal with weeds and pests in their municipalities.
7. Will Councils be required to match funding?
It will be up to councils whether they contribute their own resources. Funding is not contingent on councils contributing to the cost of projects.
8. How will the grants program be administered?
The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) will work with the MAV to develop guidelines for possible future rounds of the grants program to meet the immediate need of managing priority pests on roadsides and support action being taken by the community.
9. What type of activities will be included in the interim grants program?
- On-ground work such as spraying of weeds on roadsides (or the most appropriate control method for particular pest species based on best practice)
- Removal of rabbit warrens
- Mulching of woody weeds such as gorse
- Follow-up works on previously treated infestations from Rounds 1, 2 & 3.
10. What other activities will be funded?
The Guidelines will provide information on the types of capacity building activities that will be funded by future rounds of the program. It includes activities that improve the knowledge of weed infestation locations and extent, training and the development of procedures that prevent the spread of invasive species.
11. What type of activities will not be included in the interim grants program?
- Capital purchases of equipment such as spray equipment
- Long distance travel (ie. interstate or overseas)
12. How do councils access funding to tackle roadside weeds?
DPI Pest Management staff are available to support and provide advice to municipal councils to develop project proposals. Details of future rounds will be provided in the near future.
13. What are the timeframes in terms of applying for funding?
Guidelines and project proposal templates will be provided on the web www.dpi.vic.gov.au/lgpartnerships and will advise of the timeframes for projects and closing dates for applications.
14. How long will the program run?
Programs funded as part of the four-year Future Farming Strategy will run until June 2011. Information on future rounds of the interim roadsides grants program will be provided in the near future.
15. What happens when the program finishes?
The Government and the MAV will continue to work through the issues and provide an agreed
solution.
16. Which roads are we talking about?
All municipal roads as defined by the Road Management Act 2004. Some exceptions are
freeways, arterial roads and other roads managed by VicRoads.
17. Which categories of weeds and pests will be funded?
- Weeds that are declared in the categories Regionally Prohibited or Regionally Controlled in the region and also established pest animals, especially rabbits. A species list of these categories of pests is attached.
- Regionally Prohibited weeds are weeds that aren’t yet widely distributed in a particular region of Victoria, but have the potential to spread further. Landholders must eradicate or control them on their land. Serrated tussock, for example, is regionally prohibited in most regions of Victoria, except where it is a regionally controlled weed.
- Regionally Controlled weeds are weeds like blackberry or gorse that are widespread and established in a region. Landholders must take all reasonable steps to control and prevent the spread of these weeds.
18. What about State Prohibited weeds?
This category of weeds is not affected and they remain the responsibility of State Government.
19. Will councils be prosecuted if they don’t control weeds properly?
Whilst the issue of responsibility for the management of weeds and pests on roadsides is being resolved compliance activities will not be undertaken with respect to weeds or pest animals on municipal roads.
