Red Centre environmental group pushes for ‘tangible’ Buffel action

A Red Centre environmental organisation is urgently fundraising for a buffel grass campaigner after three years of La Nina contributed to ‘very high’ fuel loads in Central Australia.

The Arid Lands Environment Centre is pushing ahead in its campaign for urgent action on buffel grass after moves to declare the plant a weed.

Environment, Climate Change and Water Security Minister Lauren Moss on March 29 announced a technical working group would be established to assess the impacts and management approaches to buffel grass, including whether it should be declared a weed.

Buffel grass is considered valuable to pastoralists for grazing and dust control, but there has been increasing concern about its role in heightening wildfire intensity, in turn impacting biodiversity.

ALEC policy co-ordinator Alex Vaughan said after three prolonged years of La Nina, there was a “really high” fuel load of buffel grass in Central Australia, pointing to recent Tjoritja/West MacDonnell Ranges fires which burned through a fifth of the park.

“We know buffel grass fires are hotter, more intense, and burn more frequently,” he said.

“It is the greatest threat to native species in Central Australia.”

Introduced buffel grass, growing through an area in the APY Lands. Mr Vaughan said the grass’ fuel load were “very high” after three years of La Nina.

Mr Vaughan said while it was great to see the government taking action on the matter, it was important to ensure the group had clear terms of reference and a timeline for short, medium and long-term action

ALEC has established an urgent fundraiser to employ a part-time buffel grass specific campaigner, and has written to the Environment minister to request to be included in the working group.

Mr Vaughan said the campaigner would work at advocating for reasonable and manageable strategies around buffel, lobbying both state and federal governments for urgent action on the issue.

“Buffel grass is a threat that affects every single mainland state.”

Ms Moss said the government was ensuring its approaches to environmental management were up to date and reflective of contemporary challenges.

Buffel grass is used by pastoralists as feed for cattle and to mitigate against dust and erosion, but many say its high fuel load has been a contribution to wildfires in Central Australia.

“We acknowledge the community’s concerns around buffel grass, which is why we are establishing this important technical working group to advise on the most appropriate and effective approach to buffel grass for the Northern Territory,” she said.

The issue of buffel grass and its impact on fires was discussed during an Alice Springs Town Council meeting on March 28.

Councillor Marli Banks said the topic of fire and fire load, with significance to buffet in particular, had been an ongoing conversation for council and a growing concern for the community.

“We need to think about how we can actually foster partnerships with residents to cut their grass, because this year is unprecedented in how fast and wide spread the buffet is becoming,” she said.

“We’ve spoken to residents that had a pretty near miss earlier this year due to buffel and we went out to her block and decided we had an ongoing issue with crown lands and the lack of responsibility.

Warru ranger Elisha Roesch back burns near the community of Ernabella, SA to control Buffel grass. Buffel grass is recognised in South Australia as one of the greatest pest threats to arid rangelands.

“A lot of our town and in rural areas, people are exposed to a huge level of risk because there is a lack of what could be seen as responsibility in cutting and maintaining those fire breaks.”

Mayor Matt Paterson said the issue of crown land was a massive piece of the puzzle in terms of fire management.

“I completely agree that this needs to be part of an ongoing conversation,” he said.

He noted there needed to be research done around buffel as he knew the pastoral industry did not want it declared a weed for many reasons.

Councillor Steve Brown said buffel was an “incredibly important” plant in the pastoral industry.

“As a pastoralist myself I’ve grown large numbers of cattle on it, it’s a very useful pasture,” he said.

“Like any pasture that’s not controlled it can be problematic.

The discussions come after Alice Springs firefighters managed 16 different fires in the area last week. Supplied: BushfiresNT.

“It is problematic when you have a year of high rain producing a fuel load a lot higher than normal.

“Obviously it needs some management.

“But it doesn’t matter if it’s buffel or any other load it needs management.

“The issues are around the management of fire breaks

“It’s a discussion that needs to be had there’s no doubt about that.”

The discussions come after Bushfires NT, in conjunction with NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services and volunteer firefighters, managed 16 fires around Alice Springs in the past week alone.