Tackling pests threatening Gippsland Lakes

The Gippsland Lakes Invasive Species Strategy is being rolled out to control pest plants and animals threatening the environmentally significant area.

According to Will McCutcheon, Parks Victoria’s District Manager for East Gippsland, invasive plants and animals are competing with native species for resources and creating ecological problems.

“Weeds are changing the contour of sand dunes around the lakes and causing erosion, and the most invasive – like the Dolichos Pea – can smother whole trees,” Mr McCutcheon said.

“Animals such as pigs dig up large areas of saltmarsh looking for roots underground. The amount of damage they can do in a short amount of time is enormous.

“Boole Poole has some of the most intact areas of coastal vegetation and large areas of salt marsh.

“Pigs in this area are damaging these fragile salt marsh areas, so tackling this problem is really important.”

While Parks Victoria works to monitor and control invasive species to ensure native plants and animals survive and thrive, Mr McCutcheon said the community’s help was also required.

“We need the community to be our extra eyes and report sightings of weeds and pest animals, especially if they are isolated infestations or sightings,” he said.

“We can only target and contain the pest species we know about.”

Parks Victoria developed the Gippsland Lakes Invasive Species Strategy aiming to tackle key weed species. Its focus is on:

  • Controlling weeds such as Sea Spurge on the inner shorelines of the Gippsland Lakes.
  • Controlling pest animals including monitoring Sambar Deer on the Boole Poole Peninsula and goat control at Blond Bay.
  • Blackberry and willow control on fringing wetlands.
  • Dolichos Pea, Boxthorn, Mirror bush and Bluebell creeper control on Raymond Island.
  • Boneseed control on the Avon-Perry.

This project is funded by the Victorian State Government for the Gippsland Lakes. To report a sighting of invasive weeds or pest animals, contact Parks Victoria on 13 19 63.