THAT lovely flowering plant in your back garden may be the target of a $66,000 NSW government grant received by Inverell Shire Council.
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The plant is Cat’s Claw Creeper, a woody vine that covers and engulfs any object in its path. It has heavily infested a patch of over 40 kilometres along the Dumaresq River on the Inverell Shire border, part of a 165-kilometre stretch with outbreaks of the creeper occurring through waterborne seed travel.
Inverell council is working in partnership with the Queensland Murray Darling Commission (QMDC) and the Inglewood-Texas Landcare Association to eradicate breakaway colonies of the plant, and educate landholders about this invasive weed.
In addition, funds will be dedicated to restore the river system’s fish population and improve recreational fishing access.
Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall visited Inverell on Tuesday to announce the funding. He said working in tandem with the QMDC and Landcare was critical to treat both sides of the river and commended all parties for their involvement.
Inverell grants officer Fiona Adams found the opportunity to add extra funds to the already $35,000 behind the weeds initiative from the NSW Environmental Trust Grant Restoration and Rehabilitation program. The rest of the funding was awarded by the Recreational Fishing Trusts that is supported by the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee.
Ms Adams said the educational arm of the project will involve 18 active landholder participants that were identified after a QMDC aerial survey of the creeper. She said the program would employ a contractor for an initial assault on the weeds. Property owners will receive follow-up support with tools to monitor and control regrowth.
“That will involve Local Land Services, Landcare officers, shire weeds officers,” Ms Cat’s Claw creeper is a common garden specimen.
“Everyone’s got it, really. We had it on the farm I know. It’s a great hedge, covers up a terrible looking fence,” she said.
She said the recent floods in 2011 were instrumental in dispersing the creeper seeds.
“That’s what really blew it out of the water; because there was a little bit in the headwaters, and now it’s right through the Dumaresq,” she said.
Inverell deputy mayor Anthony Michael said council was very appreciative of the funding to take control of the weed’s invasive spread.
