Maranoa Regional Council has committed to developing a biosecurity plan after audit report flagged issue

Residents can expect a draft Maranoa biosecurity plan to be ready by December but first, councillors want to speak with local landholders to hear what they have to say about pests and weeds.

A biosecurity plan addressing problematic pests and weeds in the Maranoa region has been on the backburner for quite some time, but now it’s full steam ahead after the lack of a plan was flagged in an audit report.

The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries has agreed to fund the creation of a biosecurity plan, which would bring the Maranoa Regional Council in line with other local government areas.

Maranoa Regional Council interim CEO Edwina Marks said council had already agreed to develop a biosecurity plan after they made a commitment to the DAF previously.

“Since the new director has been on board, we’ve been able to get the project back on track, with the intention of having a draft biosecurity plan in December,” she said.

“The advantage of that, is that we will also attract additional funding going forward in relation to biosecurity and invasive species, pests and weeds.”

NO GOOD GRASS: This clump of African Lovegrass is one of many across the South Burnett. Photo Kate Benedict / South Burnett Times

Ms Marks said community engagement and consultation was a large aspect of the process and that council intended to speak with not only landholders in this region but the Balonne and Goondiwindi regions too.

Councillors Julie Guthrie and Wendy Taylor nominated themselves to attend and observe these landholder consultations.

Ms Guthrie said they would participate in the consultative group as observers and provide details of landholders knowledgeable and interested in pest management onto council.

Any landholders who were interested in being a part of the consultation group were invited to contact a councillor who would pass your details on.

“In the two and a half years I’ve been on the council, I’ve been very aware that our biosecurity plan was not up-to-date,” she said.

“I have been to local groups in the community who have raised issues with things in regard to lovegrass and I’m also very aware of issues with wild dogs.

Blair and Josie Angus on their Kimberley Station in Queensland, with children John, Lauren, Maddie and David; the new on-farm meatworks and niece Tess Camm. , Pictures: John Elliott

“There is concern, especially among cattle producers, with particular types of things getting into our community that we need to be on top of.

“I’m very pleased to see we’re actually doing something about this. This is the first and most important step.”

Mayor Tyson Golder said he would like to see at least ten landholders involved in the consultation group from geographically diverse areas across Roma and surrounding regions.

“Weeds are the same but when you get around the region and you talk to landowners, it’s amazing the variation,” he said.