A new facility in City of Moreton Bay is set to unleash thousands of tiny environmental heroes, with beetles and bugs being bred as biological control agents to combat two of South East Queensland's (SEQ) most destructive invasive weeds.
The Samford Biological Control Facility will mass-breed cat's claw creeper jewel beetles, tingid bugs and madeira beetles – natural predators of fast-spreading vines that are approved for release to smother native vegetation destroying habitat for species including koalas and platypus.
Led by The Pine Rivers Catchment Association, the beetles will be released at priority locations across SEQ including sites in the Pine Rivers, Mid-Brisbane, Mary and Logan River catchments, targeting hundreds of kilometres of invasive weeds threatening ecosystem health.
Cat's claw creeper and madeira vine are among the region's most damaging weeds, choking riparian vegetation, threatening water quality and reducing landscape resilience.
Local volunteers from the Samford Men's shed have supported the project by building custom 'bug dorms' filled with cat's claw creeper and madeira vine to provide food for our beetles and bugs and maximise success.
Tens of thousands of the insects will be raised and monitored each year in on-site nurseries before being transferred to targeted locations across the region for release.
The biocontrol program is part of an integrated weed-management approach reducing reliance on physical and chemical control techniques while strengthening ecological balance.
The project is funded through Resilient Rivers SEQ under the SEQ City Deal, a partnership between the Australian Government, Queensland Government and Council of Mayors (SEQ).
The SEQ City Deal will invest $40 million into Resilient Rivers SEQ with $10 million each from the Australian Government, Queensland Government, Council of Mayors (SEQ) and Seqwater.
The Samford Biological Control Facility is one of more than 30 projects underway as part of Resilient Rivers' SEQ's $30 million two-year program to improve the health of waterways, wetlands and Moreton Bay.
The facility will distribute biocontrols, including jewel and madeira beetles and tingid bugs, in accordance with a permit issued under the Biosecurity Act 2014. It will be supported by partners including Seqwater, who will contribute to ongoing beetle supply for long?term weed control across SEQ.
