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29 April 2005

Successful community forum on gamba grass threat

Government divided over control measures

A very successful community forum on gamba grass control was held yesterday at Batchelor.

Scientists, departmental officers and other speakers raised serious concerns about the failure of past and present NT governments to properly address the major environmental, social and economic crisis that is inevitable if gamba is not tackled.

Government officials said that strategies to control gamba had stalled within government due to conflicting agendas between those sections of government concerned about the impacts of gamba as a noxious weed and those sections still promoting gamba as a cattle pasture species.

Scientists said that at current rate of spread, gamba would cover most of the Top End within eighty years, causing unprecedented degradation to the environment, decimation of biodiversity, uncontrollable wildfires, and loss of economic capacity.

The impacts of cane toads would pale into insignificance if gamba spreads to the extent that is predicted.

Like cane toads, gamba grass was deliberately introduced into Australia on behalf of the agriculture industry in the 1930’s.

Even though gamba is now known to pose a major threat to every aspect of our famous Territory lifestyle, it is still not a declared weed and it is still legal to buy, sow and spread gamba, even into areas where it is not currently present.

“ The government must resolve this internal conflict and get on with the increasingly urgent task of tackling weeds like gamba.

“ The good news at the forum is that gamba is still sufficiently localized in its distribution to be controllable, but only if strong, committed action is taken by the whole of government in support of the community, backed up with adequate ongoing funding.

“ Congratulations must go to the local people of Batchelor/Coomalie for organizing this event.”

For further information contact ECNT:
Phone: 08 8981 1984
Email: ecnt@octa4.net.au

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