Not wanting to be depressing or anything as the ‘festive season’ approaches, but here’s the Department of Agriculture on a potentially serious local menace:
‘Chilean needle grass is becoming a serious pasture and environmental weed in south-eastern Australia. It is very invasive and forms dense stands in pastures, bushland and roadsides.
‘It tolerates drought and heavy grazing, giving it great potential to spread and over-run existing vegetation. The potential distribution of Chilean needle grass in Australia is estimated to exceed 40 million hectares.’
On a more constructive note, have a look at the sheet below, produced by Margaret Panter to help landowners identify and respond to the needlegrass menace (click on it to see it full size):
Click to see full size.
Click on image for info/order page
Click on image for info/order page
Click on image for info/order page
