The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, or so it was revealed at a recent Pyp Grass workshop conducted in Guilderton.
Coordinated by the Moore Catchment Council (MCC) and supported by NACC, the workshop was convened to discuss a new Pyp Grass Management Plan to tackle the noxious weed problem in the township.
Pyp Grass Management Plans already exist for the towns of Jurien Bay and Cervantes in the Shire of Dandaragan, and have guided successful control works for eradicating the weed.
Senior Botanist at Western Botanical, Martin Henson, provided an overview of the Pyp grass infestation in Guilderton – highlighting areas where it is encroaching on good quality remnant vegetation.
Prioritisation of works conducted by the workshop participants was followed by a visit to selected control sites in Guilderton. A significant finding of the Management Plan was that Pyp grass appears to have been spread in soil that has been moved from one part of the town to another. This emphasised the need to promote awareness of the weed and weed management best practice – especially among anyone using earthmoving equipment within the township.
MCC Natural Resource Management Officer Rachel Walmsley said: “The amount of Pyp grass in Guilderton which this plan has highlighted is quite disturbing.”
“It has already pushed out and smothered a lot of the native vegetation along the dunes, and really needs to be stopped before it does any more damage. Future eradication works are welcomed,” she said.
NACC Coastal and Marine Project Officer Hamish Longbottom said he was confident that the new Management Plan and lessons learned from the Jurien Bay and Cervantes works program would see a similar result in Guilderton.
“With support from community volunteers, the Shire of Dandaragan and Department of Parks and Wildlife, we are getting on top of many of these weed infestations in our coastal towns. And, with a collaborative effort by all stakeholders I’m sure that we can do the same in the Shire of Gingin,” he said.