NT Government’s Gamba grass poisoning program making inroads on hazardous weed

THE Territory government has launched its 2020-21 Gamba Action Program, providing access to free herbicide for property owners battling the highly invasive weed.

Girraween resident Deb Burfoot with Gamba Assistance Program weed officer Paige Richter. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford

THE Territory government has launched its 2020-21 Gamba Action Program, providing access to free herbicide for property owners battling the highly invasive weed.

The $100,000 program funds free equipment hire and up to 20 litres of herbicide for landowners to help tackle Gamba grass and reduce the risk from bushfires.

Girraween resident Deb Burfoot said she had been fighting an uphill battle with the weed for years when its destructive impact was driven home as a fire swept through her property in September.

“It’s just ferocious the heat that it generates and the speed that it causes fire to burn, it’s pretty scary,” she said.

Ms Burfoot said she’d been taking advantage of the government’s program for about four years, and the free poison was helping make inroads on the “ridiculously hard to kill” feral grass.

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“I’ve got patches that we’ve been spraying for years and the only way I’m getting rid of it is by digging it up, but that’s not an option for paddocks and things like that, so the poison is amazing,” she said.

“I have noticed it declining considerably.

“There’s sections where I really don’t have any so I can get into it with a little backpack sprayer and kill it before it starts, so there’s noticeable areas where it’s gone. But you can’t turn your back on it.”

Environment Minister Eva Lawler said the program was just one part of the government’s Gamba Action Program, along with the 45- person strong Gamba Army which helped support jobs and the environment.

“The Territory Labor government knows that smart environment policy is smart economic policy — and that more action is needed to mitigate and eradicate Gamba grass, and that is what we are doing through a co-ordinated and targeted approach,” she said.

“If we are to effectively manage and stop the spread of Gamba, we must all take our responsibility seriously.

“This year’s program will continue the positive progress made last year that resulted in over 2000 participants obtaining free herbicide.”

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Ms Lawler said the government was investing $6m per year on weed management, including establishing a dedicated Crown Land Weeds Officer, boosting funding to Bushfires NT to support volunteer brigades, and constructing a new state of the art facility for Bushfires NT to improve its response to fires.”

For more information on getting free herbicide or loaning equipment visit nt.gov.au.