Agmates editor Steve Truman writes:
First They Stopped Land clearing Now They Want to Outlaw Improved Pastures!
The QLD State government is under pressure from a radical group of southern “green intellectuals” to declare tropical pastures including Gamba Grass, Leucaena and Buffel Grass noxious weeds in this state.
Agmates has confirmed this with AgForce Cattle Policy Director Oscar Pearce and two other leading tropical pasture experts. Mr Pearce told Agmates ” The QLD government is under pressure from a small but determine group of “green” lobbyist who have a long running campaign to have Gamba Grass banned.”
Mr Pearce said “It was only through AgForce’s previous work that species such as Gamba have not been declared as weeds under national listings. However now they are using “the Salami method”. It’s a tactic they have used very successfully in the past, to pressure the state government into taking action.
“They break the campaign into smaller pieces, firstly working to get Gamba declared then they’ll will move onto Leucaena and Buffel grass which are both on their agenda.”
Cattle grazing on well managed Gamba grass in north Queensland.
Agmates has seen material on this groups web site stating that Bullef Grass, Leuceana and Gamba grass are all “monospecific stands that outcompete native grasses (and trees in the case of Leucaena) that significantly raise the fire regime of an area to the point of removing competing trees and shrubs. These features make them excellent pasture grasses and serious environmental weeds.“
Photo of Gamba Grass being burnt. When left unmanaged Gamba fires burn at 7 times the ferocity of native grass fires.
John Rains and Ross Newman of Southedge Seeds at Mareeba are 2 of Northern Australia’s leading authorities on improved tropical pastures. When I spoke to John Rains and asked him to comment he told Agmates : “I am pleased at last there is, although at the 11th hour, an attempt to get ‘arse in gear‘ to stand up to these ‘Weed Warriors‘. The whole future of the northern grazing industry is at stake.
There is an almost clandestine group set up nationally to draw up guidelines and criteria as to the weed status of all introduced plants including cropping plants. Biosecurity Australia has based it’s approach on the recommendations of this organization’s Invasive Species Committee which is based in Adelaide. This outfit has an internal ‘navel gazing’ email loop.
Ross and I have been fighting the recommendations of this radical green group for some time. When I finally was able to uncover the group behind this push to have important pasture plants such Buffel, Sirato, Glycine, Parra grass, Setaria, Gamba and Leucaena declared noxious weeds I contacted them. When I did all hell broke loose, I was even threatened by one of the members.”
“Ross and I are are in total agreement with Oscar Pearce that declaring Gamba a weed in QLD is just the ‘thin edge of the wedge’ and that they are hell bent on having all Northern introduced pasture plants banned.” Mr Rains said.
A stand of well managed Irrigated Leucaena at Emerald Central QLD.
So here’s what we can do about it?
Oscar Pearce told Agmates - “The only way we can counteract these green lobby groups is to present the government with a practical solution that effectively manages the environmental concerns about the unchecked spread of Gamba. A code of practice (CoP) , on how to manage the pasture correctly, is the the key.
It is unrealistic to try and eradicate Gamba. Instead, setting parameters for pasture management in a CoP should assure government that potential environmental impacts are being properly managed by Queensland producers.”
AgForce is lobbying the minister for Natural Resources & Water, Craig Wallace and Biosecurity Queensland, but desperately needs more information about the use of Gamba in grazing operations.
“We are asking if the Agmates community could help with our submission” Mr Pearce said.
1st thing we as a community can do:
Those who have Gamba Grass on their property:
We need anybody who has Gamba grass on their property to complete the AgForce Gamba “e-survey” on line. The survey will give us the information we need to make a firm argument to Mr Wallace.
Mr Pearce as given Agmates his personal commitment that the information collected in the form will be used exclusively for the purpose of the submission and will not be used for any other purpose. To do so would be a breach of the privacy act.
So if you have Gamba Grass on you property CLICK HERE to complete the AgForce survey.
2nd thing We as a community Can Do:
Tell The minister What You Think;
If you think this issue is important tell Natural Resources & Water Minister & Minister assisting the Premier in North QLD Townsville’s Craig Wallace your view and opinion on this issues. Agmates will email each comment to Minister Wallace and ask him to reply on line for all the Agmates to read.
To have your say Click on comment underneath the photo of the stand of Buffel. This is too important to be shy.
Third Thing We Can Do:
If you feel strongly about saving Queensland Graziers right to use any and all commercially significant productive pastures in their farming operation, forward this article onto everybody you know and ask them to Complete the Survey if they have Gamba Grass or if not leave a comment on Agmates for the Minister.
Buffel grass under threat from radical green groups.
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We must get through to the governments that this country cannot return to the perceived “pristine state” that it was in when settled by Europeans. Declaring good pasture grasses as a weed is ridiculous and eradication of buffel and gamba grass, and the tropical grasses on the coast will be impossible.
The government should be made aware if they keep attacking the “goose that lays the golden egg” the goose will start to die.
1. Buffel Grass: this claim is crazy. I watched the introduction of the different variants, and their use in cetral QLD, western QLd, and we flew to the desert in NW WA to inspect the use of buffel circles to stabilise sand from wind erosion. Buffel establishes easily and inproves production of grazing stock, sustainability, and soil stability over a wide spread of habitats. To class it as a weed is to indicate lack of knowledge and irresponsibility. Buffel has a bunch growth habit, and is compatible with legumes. Its roots store significant amounts of sequestered carbon.
2. Leucaena: I have followed the research on the very different varieties of Leucaena in Hawaii and in Australia. We now have varieties that planted with a suitable grass produce some of the most productive pastures ever seen in Australia. It is grown in the Ord under irrigation with tremendous results. Some varieties do need some control in an ungrazed situation, but control is easy. To plant Leucaena successfully needs a farming approach, and until it reaches adequate height, it is knocked back by frost every year. It has a very long tap root, is drought resistent, and a good soil stabiliser. Multipurpose Leucaenas exist. I imported K8 years ago, took it through its quarantine period - no problems. In other countries it is prized for paper pulp and wood. Again we see the threat from inexperienced ignorant people.
3. Gamba: we planted gamba in wet areas years ago. It never gave us any problems in wet coastal country. To say it threatens trees is ridiculous. People worried about the density of trees, should contact the QDPI and get advice using the model developed by Bill Burrows at Rockhampton. As a management tool it is invaluable. Bill knew/knows so much about tree density in QLD that the QLD government gagged him, and took the hard disc out of his computer during the vegetation legislation debacle. If he spoke he would be sacked without super. And the irony is that the QLD Veg Leg was rigged by Beattie and Howard so that Australia could fulfil a promise to Kyoto without inconveniencing city folk, regardless of what is does to graziers and land holders. Beattie had to secretarily remove common law from QLD to prevent successful court actions.
G’day John,
Thank you for sharing your real life experiences with these pastures. Minster Wallace needs to see this when he is getting bombarded with propaganda like the Wildlife Preservation Society of QLD (WPSQ) article off their Feb 2007 Newsletter.
The article which proves the government is under enormous pressure to cave into there demands is Head Lined “Worst Weed Threatens North Queensland”.
In the article WPSQ, in conjunction with The Queensland Conservation Council and The Wilderness Society, say that Gamba grass is “Australia’s worst weed”. The 3 conservation organizations have aligned to DEMAND action from the state government.
Read what Dr Kingston says about Gamba grass and then read the rubbish presented in the WPSQ article. Click on the link to read it. http://www.wildlife.org.au/news-gambagrass.html
Buffel grass and leucaena have transformed Queensland into the vibrant grass-fed cattle industry that it is today, leading Australia in production of clean and green beef. Already the intellectual pigmies of the green brigade have tried to eradicate buffel from former grazing properties either bought at a pittance or virtually stolen from private landowners, for national parks.
Ever tried it? Buffel is virtually impossible to eradicate by any means, particularly drought or in the odd case of over-grazing. It thrives in adversity and so it should-this was the reason it was introduced 50 or more years ago by government agencies as an answer to Queensland’s variable climate.
Anecdotal evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates the efficacy of buffel grass pastures particularly in more marginal areas where native pastures rarely survive in average years.
Without a doubt buffel grass has more than doubled the entire carrying capacity of Queensland over this period.
The state’s macropod population ,according to various state and Commonwealth agencies, has more than quadrupled in this time because of introduced pasture species, the major one being buffel.
So to those intrepid zombies of the green brigade-don’t waste your time crippling the nation’s pastoral industry. Governments and Meat and Livestock Australia are already doing it with consumate ease by enacting policies way and above the ability of cash-strapped producers to comply.
Become useful citizens by helping to eradicate the real noxious weeds such as lantana, groundsel,giant rats tail and parthenium.
While I can’t comment on these species specifically (being from South Australia). There is a much bigger issue here. In the case where new plants are imported from overseas, Government approval is required. Before importation occurs sufficient research must be done to determine the suitability of the “import”. This is a government responsibility. It must be determined before hand is species is likely to become invasive etc etc.
This required research applies to all plants.
If “weed” species are allowed into the country by inadequate research by Governemnt authorities and these species cause problems, the cost of the solution rests with the Government and not the landowners. Proclaiming any plant a weed after Government approval for importation has been given is really closing the stall after the horse is bolted. Expecting landowners to bear the cost of eradication when they had nothing to do with the approval is ludicrous at best.
So my suggestion to State Governments wishing to proclaim plants as weeds; already approved as allowable imports, is to start getting involved in the approval process rather than sit back and wait for a mistake to be made and then expect someone else to pay to solve a problem (if it exists)
I would ask another question of those that would want the landscape returned to that of 240 years ago. What are 20,000,000 people going to eat?
This push from the ill informed is disturbing. They need to put their energies behind getting rid of parthenium, giant rat’s tail grass, rubber vine & lantana to name a few. They are far greater threats to the landscape than the buffel, leucaena and gamba grass which are grazed so readily by stock and native animals.
As cattle farmers in the Top End, Northern Territory, our viability depends on Gamba grass, which is palatable, nutritious, grows well in our climate and competes with useless native grasses. It would be impossible to eradicate Gamba without destroying our entire ecosystem, so it would be absolutely stupid to try.
One has to wonder that with the world population always increasing, at the demand for Bio Fuels increasing at a ridiculous rate, that there is going to be more pressure placed on our grazing lands to finish off greater numbers of stock to fill the void. So if this is the case, by rights aren’t we going to need these “environmental weeds” to be able to sustain production and keep up to the world demand for red meat.
There is also much talk about carbon trading and the potential benefits that exist to producers for storing carbon, and selling it. These introduced grass species can store more carbon consistently year in, year out than an open woodlands with native grass species. Particularly with grass such as Gamba Grass the carbon is fixed at depth, reducing the risk of re entry into the atmospshere. Which leads me to my next point, who actually owns the carbon that a producer stores on his well managed, fully sustainable improved pasture property? Is it like other minerals where it is owned by the crown and we only get paid a royality for it. If that is the case, wouldn’t they be wanting more grasses like Gamba Grass to be planted so we can reach all necessary targets pertaining to carbon.
Just wondering why the goal posts have been shifted for weed managment.
What happened to getting rid of parthinium, prickley acacia, parkinsonia, etc etc.?? Is this too hard for the greenies to handle? or don’t they get enough airplay and media coverage over the obvious weed problems….I guess its much easier to attack something that doesn’t need fixing, than actually doing something as beneficial as eradicating actual weed problems.
The best thing for the environment would be for all those people carrying on about gamba, buffel and leukena to grab themselves a pick and shovel, find a patch of weeds and put their backs into eradicating them……much more effective than threatening landholders via governments and the media.
We use a pick and shovel to eradicate weeds and pests, these environment agitators should actually try it, it is quite satisfying work.
Agitators……get your hands dirty, and do a proper days work for a change, you will go home tired and then you won’t have the energy to crucify productive, empowered rural landholders.