Agriculture Victoria is working with landowners in the Staffordshire Reef area to support their community gorse control program and is encouraging more landowners in the area to join the effort.
Agriculture Victoria Leading Biosecurity Officer Fiona Sharman said several landowners in the area have worked together to make the most of their control efforts, and the department is keen to support their work by reaching out to other landowners not yet involved.
"Gorse is classified as a Regionally Controlled Weed in the Corangamite catchment under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 and all landowners have a responsibility to control noxious weeds on their properties.
"Combined community effort leads to greater long-term results," she said.
Ms Sharman said between January and March 2022, Agriculture Victoria officers will be visiting properties in the area, with landowners having already been sent letters to introduce the community-led project.
"If the field observations show that significant control efforts have been made and that the community is mostly receptive to controlling gorse to support community action, we will continue to support their efforts.
"We would like the broader community to know about the project so that landowners in the area are aware and can also take action to control gorse on their properties."
Ms Sharman said on hot days you can hear the gorse plants 'popping', this is the seed pods cracking. Some seeds will eject up to five metres away from the plant.
"Gorse also provides harbour for invasive species such as rabbits, foxes, and feral cats that impact our native wildlife and vegetation.
"Gorse hinders the natural ecosystem by competing with native plants, displacing native animals, and obstructing access to waterways. A long-term effect of the plant's presence is that the soil becomes more acidic and loses nutrients.
She said it also poses a significant fire risk and its spread into agricultural land reduces grazing capabilities.
"There are multiple control methods including chemical treatment, cultivation, physical removal and mulching. However, the best approach is to combine multiple methods.
"For large gorse infestations mulching using bobcats or larger machinery followed up by chemical treatment can prove to be an effective method of control."
Ms Sharman said follow up works are required every year, and it is ideal to treat gorse before the plant sets seed as seeds can live longer than 25 years.
