Roadside Weeds and Pests Program Control Plan 2023-2026

Moyne Shire is located in South-West Victoria and stretches from along the Shipwreck Coast in the South to the pastoral areas in the North. Moyne Shire spans a large (5,478km2) area but has a small (17,370) human population. Moyne Shire's communities include the larger (<2500) rural townships of Port Fairy, Koroit, Mortlake and Macarthur; the smaller (<500) rural settlements of Hawkesdale, Peterborough, Woolsthorpe, Caramut, Nullawarre, Panmure and Yambuk; and rural communities (<250) of Hexham, Kirkstall, Winslow, Purnim, Wangoom, Ellerslie, Bessiebelle, Garvoc, Codrington, Framlingham, Woorndoo, The Sisters, Knebsworth, Nirranda, Killarney, Naringal, Laang, Toolong, Willatook, St. Helens, Minhamite, Mailors Flat, Ballangeich, Dundonnell, Nareeb, Grassmere, Minjah, Ayrford, Mepunga, Rosebrook, Yangery and Illowa.

The landscape of the municipality is dominated by its major industry in agriculture, with manufacturing, tourism, retail, and education other important economic sectors. Dairying is the highest value agricultural industry, though fishing, sheep, cropping, and timber are growing in size and value.

Moyne Shire predominantly consists of the Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP) bioregion, which encapsulates the Warrnambool Plain bioregion. These bioregions contain endangered grasslands, some of which remnants of native species can still be found present in roadside reserves.

There are 3,564km of roads within Moyne Shire of which Council is the responsible authority for approximately 2,961km and VicRoads is responsible authority for approximately 603km. Of the roads that are Council's responsibility, around half (1,573km) are bitumen sealed roads, with the remaining consisting of earth foundation.

Council is committed to the control of pest plants and animals on land under its management responsibility and has been proactive in implementing an ongoing program for priority works each year since 2008. Over the last two years Council has been implementing actions from within its Roadside Weed and Rabbit Control Plan 2022-2023 that saw substantial weed control works along designated rural roadsides across the municipality for priority (Regionally Controlled) weed species such as Gorse, Blackberry, Boxthorn and Rabbits.

Moyne Shire Council has employed a dedicated Environment Officer since August 2001. This officer has worked extensively with the many small communities in Moyne on an array of projects in this time, building trust with the community and a strong network of key community contacts. Since 2008 the Environment Officer role has progressively taken on greater weed control responsibilities to the extent that this position now performs the vast majority of weed control on all Council managed land.

Moyne's Environment and Biodiversity Officer attends several community meetings each calendar year dealing with various Natural Resource management issues - including weed control. Community groups, ratepayers and individuals within the municipality are encouraged to make service requests for weed control works to the Environment Officer and records are kept detailing the nature of the request and the action that has been taken by Council. Council actively maintains a database of locations where weed control works have been performed since 2008 and seeks to return to these locations regularly for follow up treatments.

Landholder and members of the community are encouraged to submit service requests via customer service, email, or Moyne Shire website forms to report weed locations along roadsides. These are added to the database for ongoing treatment and monitoring locations.

In developing the 2023-2026 Plan, Moyne Shire Council approached a range of state agency officers, non-government organisation staff, weed control contractors and key local Landcare group representatives for the feedback and discussion on its formulation. Moyne Shire's Environment and Biodiversity Officer liaised with organisations on specific matters such as rabbit control and coordinating weed treatments, including the following

• Department of Environment Energy and Climate Action (DEECA)
• Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority (GHCMA)
• Nature Glenelg Trust
• South West Vermin and Weed Control
• Australian Plants Society- Warrnambool
• Warrnambool Field Naturalists
• Woorndoo-Chatsworth Landcare Group
• Basalt-to-Bay Landcare Network
• RJT Vermin Control
• Warrnambool Coast Care / Landcare Network
• Corangamite Shire Council
• Moyne Shire Community

Moyne Shire Council is aware of the following policies and strategies that have some relevance to this plan

State

• Catchment and Land Protection (CaLP) Act 1994
• Catchment and Land Protection Regulations 2022
• Victorias Biosecurity Strategy 2023
• Invasive Plants and Animal Policy Framework 2010
• Victorian Gorse Control Strategy 2021-2026
• Victorian Blackberry Strategy 2020-2025
  
  

Regional

• Glenelg Hopkins CMA Regional Catchment Strategy 2021-2027
• Glenelg Hopkins CMA Invasive Animal Strategy 2010-2015
• Glenelg Hopkins CMA Regional Weed Plan 2007-2012
• Corangamite CMA Regional Catchment Strategy to 2027
• Corangamite CMA Invasive Plant and Animal Management Strategy 2010
• South West Victoria Regional Coastal Action Plan 2002
  
  

Local

• Moyne Shire Council Plan 2021-2025
• Moyne Shire Roadside Conservation Plan 2001
• Moyne Shire Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2012
• Coastal and Marine Asset Management Plan 2022
  
  

Moyne Shire Council's key objective for the plan is to maintain the effective and proactive management of invasive species of concern along specified Council managed roadsides across the municipality. Council will use the funding associated with this plan in order to meet its stated target actions. This will greatly assist Council in containing the spread and overall extent of selected invasive plant and animal species within the municipality. Funds will be invested according to the following (ranked) priorities: Treatment for the containment, or reduction in area, of infestations of Regionally Controlled weeds and rabbits aligned to current and former Agriculture Victoria compliance project areas.

1. Supporting coordinated community group investment in declared weed and pest control projects.
2. Contributing to other previous investment in the control of Regionally Controlled weeds and rabbits.
3. Commencing shire-wide GIS roadside weed mapping to improve targeted treatment to enable updated and current knowledge of Restricted, Regionally Prohibited and Controlled weed infestations and Established Invasive Animals. This will direct future control plan development.
4. Protecting identified environmental assets such as areas of significant remnant vegetation from the threat of weed invasion or other significant roadside infrastructure.
5. Support weed and pest animal management programs being undertaken by landholders; and
6. Addressing other roadside declared noxious weed infestations of concern to the Shire's community including weeds classified as 'Restricted'.

The plan will run for a three-year period from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2026. It is noted that as weed mapping and GIS systems are updated the control plan will be adjusted to ensure effective control of targeted weeds. Full time equivalent (FTE) resourcing: The plan will be funded via the following avenues:

• Victorian Government via its Roadside Weed and Pest Management Program (RWPP) allocation - $81,519 for 2023/24 financial year, with funding allocations for the 2024/25 and 2005/26 financial years to be announced after the state budget release at the discretion of the Minister for Local Government; and
• Moyne Shire Council weed control operational budget allocation - $63,000 in 2023/24 (with similar budget allocation requested for 2024/25, 2025/26 and 2026/27).

Internal resourcing and management of contractors is completed in-kind by the Environment and Biodiversity Officer with support of the Environment Services Coordinator totalling approximately 300-350 hours per year. On-ground weed management works are completed via contractors over multiple weeks across the year totalling approximately 0.5 to 1 FTE.

Active Gorse locations

Former Gorse locations

(These locations are checked annually)

Active Hemlock locations

Priority Blackberry Zones/Locations

Area Bounded By These Roads

Definitely No Action

Due to severity of blackberry infestations within the area bordered by Cobden-Warrnambool Rd/Ayresford Rd/Timboon-Nullawarre rd/ Great Ocean Rd/Rollos Rd (Naringal East/Ayrford/Nullawarre/Nirranda) - no control works will be performed within this zone.

Additional individual roads outside above listed zones where works will be performed

Note: We are unable to publish a map at present. Moyne Shire Council is currently planning to commence shire-wide weed GIS mapping after 30 June 2024 to update the existing known infestation locations of Restricted, Regionally Prohibited and Controlled weeds.  It is intended that a component of the weed control budget will be allocated each year to engage a consultant to undertake this project as part of the 2023-26 RWPP control plan. A map will be published once this has been completed.

Council will

• Publish this approved plan (or approved variation to this plan if relevant) on its website within 28 days of approval and ensure copies are available for public inspection at Council’s office(s). Any personal information contained in the control plan should be redacted prior to publishing. The signatures on the approved control plan may also be redacted prior to publishing.
• Coordinate the implementation of this plan on council managed roadsides in accordance with the investment principles stated in this plan and the control measures specified.
• Implement best practice weed hygiene principles and protocols.
• Maintain accurate records sufficient to provide evidence that the plan has been carried out and provide these on request.
• Obtain approval from Agriculture Victoria before substantially modifying or varying the plan.
• Carefully consider any proposals from Agriculture Victoria to modify or vary the plan in response to changed circumstances.