Red Centre tourism operator calls for action on scourge of buffel grass around iconic tourist attractions

Seas of buffel grass in the Red Centre have one tour operator eagerly awaiting to see if one of the greatest threats to the arid ecosystem will be declared a weed – a move multiple organisation have pushed for years now.

Red Earth Roaming tour guide Kirsty Holmgren in front of invasive buffel grass at Emily Gap, just outside of Alice Springs. Picture: Gera Kazakov

Iconic Red Centre tourist attractions are now buffel grass havens – leading one tourism operator to say she has “about two more years” left before she throws in the towel.

Red Earth Roaming tour guide Kirsty Holmgren runs tours to iconic Red Centre tourist attractions such as Emily Gap, Jessie Gap, Corroboree Rock, and Trephina Gorge – all of which are just out of Alice Springs.

A tour guide for six years now, Ms Holmgren said buffel grass had become a huge part of her job and was ruining popular Red Centre tourist locations.

“I really think within two years, there’ll be nothing for me that’s worth showing people and showcasing,” she said.

“The best thing out of this job is showing people how incredible the centre is, and a huge part of that is the plants, the beautiful plants and flowers that we get out here.”
But those unique plants and flowers at tourist locations are slowly being replaced by buffel grass – an invasive grass species to the Red Centre.

“When buffel takes over these areas, I’ll be gone. I won’t even be bothering and I certainly wouldn’t be telling people to come out here – it’s not worth it,” she said.

Ms Holmgren said tourists became disheartened once she pointed out to tourists that all the green shrubbery they’re seeing at these iconic sites is actually buffel grass.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if reports started from tourists about, you know, ‘why hasn’t the government done anything here?’” she said.

“They’re already pointing out the buffel grass going, ‘oh my god, this is just unbelievable’.”

Red Earth Roaming tour guide Kirsty Holmgren holds up buffel grass at Emily Gap, just outside of Alice Springs. The grass is identifiable by the black to purple seed heads. Picture: Gera Kazakov

For Ms Holmgren, instead of educating tourists on the native bush tomatoes, bush potatoes and the vast array of wildflowers, she instead finds herself herding tourists through seas of buffel grass.

“There’s such a biodiversity of plants out here,” she said.

“All you see is an array of shapes and colours, and it’s just so magic to look at, it’s so stunning – but buffel is displacing everything.”

Invasive Species Council conservation and biosecurity analyst Lyall Grieve said buffel grass was now considered to be one of the greatest environmental threats to the Red Centre.

“It outcompetes native grasses, it transforms landscapes into monocultures and it leads to really devastating and more frequent – and hot – bushfires,” he said.

Invasive Species Council conservation and biosecurity analyst Lyall Grieve. Picture: Supplied

“People come to these places to see the stunning beauty of our native bushland and our significant animal and plant species, the biodiversity of the desert.

“People don’t come to see a weedy grass that’s come from overseas and that’s taken over the entire landscape.”

Mr Grieve said it wasn’t just tourists who were suffering at the sight of buffel – it’s also having a significant impact on Indigenous culture and land use.

Invasive Species Council was one of the many groups that has been pushing the Territory government to declare buffel grass a weed, a move Mr Grieve said would enable “real action” to be taken against the invasive grass.

“If it’s listed as a weed by the government, it means that funding can be sought; widespread regional management can be adequately done to control the impact of the grass,” he said.

For Ms Holmgren, the weed declaration couldn’t come quick enough.

“The government needs to put in a whole lot of funding for research on how to get rid of this stuff, like, really fast,” she said.

Environment Minister Kate Worden said she was currently awaiting recommendations from the weed advisory committee to “develop a buffel grass management strategy” which will prioritise effective and valuable “direct management actions”.

“The Lawler Labor government has committed $1 million in Budget 2024 to tackling weeds, which includes $750,000 specifically for managing buffel grass,” she said.

Originally published as Red Centre tourism operator calls for action on scourge of buffel grass around iconic tourist attractions