An alliance of unlikely partners is keeping an exotic intruder under control in the Upper Murray area,
with the help of the State Government’s Good Neighbour Program.

Parks Victoria, Walwa Golf Club, Vic Roads and local Landcare Groups, have joined forces to stop the
spread of African Love Grass, particularly along local roadsides and river reserves.

Five years ago the presence of this highly invasive weed in Neils Reserve was bought to the attention
of Parks Victoria by Walwa Landcare member Terry O’Keeffe, and was also found in Jingellic Reserve,
both of which are managed by Parks Victoria. A total of about 20ha of this aggressive weed was
identified across the two areas.

Since 2006, funding from the Good Neighbour Program has seen a continual three year control
program carried out. Multiple spraying operations throughout the year have been necessary because
African Love Grass can grow and develop seed with very little moisture, particularly during the summer
months. This constant surveillance has stopped the spread of this aggressive weed and greatly
reduced its re-seeding.

While African Lovegrass is a real environmental menace, it was actually serving a purpose for the local
Walwa Golf Club as a tufted grass in its rough areas. However, after information from the Good
Neighbour group on the nature of this aggressive weed, Club Captain John Blackburn had it removed
from the course.

The grass thrives in gravel and stony soils, and has hard, small seeds which remain viable for over five
years, which makes it very hard to eradicate. It’s also easily spread through the transport of road
building materials, so the spraying of local roadsides by Vic Roads has been important in controlling its
movement. About 18 Km of the Murray River Road has been sprayed, from Jingellic Bridge up stream
to the Pine Mountain Creek Road junction.

Project Manager and Parks Victoria Ranger, John Silins, says although the grass is under control in
these areas at the moment, it needs ongoing work to keep it under control “The success of this project
so far has been due to the support of Good Neighbour and help from local community groups. The
challenge now is to keep up the control work and monitoring which will be needed for some time yet.”
The State Government funded 400 Good Neighbour community projects worth $2.7 million in 2007-08,
and has just announced a further $2.7 million for another 400 projects for 2008-09.

This description is care of Parks Victoria.