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Minister Joe Helper and Lyn Coulston launch the new blackberry strategy near Cudgewa

New strategy launched to help fight blackberry

The Brumby Government has launched the new Victorian Blackberry Strategy for 2008-2013 to help tackle one of State's most destructive and challenging weeds.

Speaking during a visit to north-east Victoria in November 2008, Minister for Agriculture, Joe Helper said the new strategy sets out the vision for controlling blackberry across the state, with goals, objectives and accompanying strategic actions for the next five years.

The strategy promotes a community-led and long-term approach to blackberry management, with improved coordination of blackberry management across all land tenures.

"Blackberry is one of Australia's 20 Weeds of National Significance and one of Victoria's four State Priority Weeds due to its highly invasive nature, potential to spread and the environmental and economic damage it causes," Mr Helper said.

"Blackberry threatens our biodiversity and affects almost nine million hectares of grazing land.

"It costs approximately $100 million annually in control and lost production and this is a rise on the $60 million from surveys in the 1980s."

Chair of the Victorian Blackberry Taskforce, Lyn Coulston said the new strategy recognises an integrated and long-term approach across public and private land is needed. It recognises that community weed management is a successful and sustainable approach to reducing the spread of blackberry.

"Effective management of blackberry requires an understanding of the impacts on biodiversity and production and a shared commitment from all land managers to reduce those impacts. This is only possible by using integrated control methods such as chemical, mechanical and biocontrol and a consistent approach." she said.

"The key aim is to prevent new infestations, reduce current infestations, rehabilitate previously infested land and support land managers with up to date information about the best ways to achieve good results"

Ms Coulston said the new strategy had five overarching goals:

• 1. Create greater community responsibility for integrated blackberry control.
• 2. Maximise opportunities to expand investment in an ongoing blackberry control program.
• 3. Ensure blackberry programs are delivered and managed so they are ecologically and socially sustainable.
• 4. Ensure strategic blackberry management is coordinated across all land tenures.
• 5. Strengthen the capabilities and capacity of Victorian communities to anticipate and adjust to economic, social and environmental challenges and opportunities, ensuring ongoing commitment to blackberry control practices.

Mr Helper said landholders are urged to be aware of the new strategy and the successful  community-led programs that are already occurring to help landholders meet their weed management responsibilities.

"Only by working together in a community-led attack over the long-term will we be able to make head-way against blackberry," he said.

Copies of the Victorian Blackberry Strategy 2008-2013 are available from Stuart Roberton at DPI Wodonga (02) 6043 7965. The document is also available for download on the Victorian Blackberry Taskforce website: http://www.vicblackberrytaskforce.com.au/