Winning the War
Against Weeds
Ryan Good, Alex Lavis, Matilda Robb,
Clancy Tomlinson, Adelaide Robb and Lachie Hogan
Lowesdale Public School
Creative Catchment Kids
Creative Catchment Kids is an initiative of Wirraminna
Environmental Education Centre. It aims to improve engagement
between our funding partners and school students by providing
opportunities for positive and authentic ventures that encourage
students to develop creative solutions to agriculture and natural
resource management issues.
www.wirraminna.org/creative-catchment-kids/
Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre
The Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre is located in
Burrumbuttock, north of Albury in southern NSW. Since 1995, the
centre, which is adjacent to Burrumbuttock Public School, has
provided opportunities for discovery and learning about the natural
environment, the ecology of the local woodlands and the beauty
of native plants.
www.wirraminna.org
Enviro-Stories
Enviro-Stories is an innovative literacy education program
that inspires learning about natural resource and catchment
management issues. Developed by PeeKdesigns, this program
provides students with an opportunity to publish their own stories
that have been written for other kids to support learning about
their local area.
www.envirostories.com.au
Winning the War
Against Weeds
Authors: Ryan Good, Alex Lavis, Matilda Robb,
Clancy Tomlinson, Adelaide Robb and Lachie Hogan
Teacher: Loren Filliponi
School: Lowesdale Public School
Local Land Heroes - Securing Our Region
In 2015, students involved in the Creative Catchment Kids program
researched and wrote stories about their ‘Local Land Heroes’ who
are involved in pest management in the Murray and Murrumbidgee
regions. These heroes are local individuals, couples, a business or
industries that have made a difference in their local community by
contributing to the management of pest animals and plants. The
program was generously funded by Murray Local Land Services
and Riverina Local Land Services.
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Local Land Heroes is part of Enviro-Stories, a PeeKdesigns
education program.
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© 2015 Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre, www.wirraminna.org
Design by PeeKdesigns, www.peekdesigns.com.au
1
Patrick ‘Paddy’ Minogue was born in Carlton,
Melbourne, but has lived in the Corowa area for
17 years. He works full time as the Noxious Weed
Inspector for the Corowa Shire Council and has
been in this role for 10 years. He is also an active
community member, volunteering as the coach
for the CDHBU U14’s football team.
2
Paddy’s role includes doing property inspections,
council land inspections and inspections of the
Murray River – which can take
up to 4 weeks of hard work
in a boat during summer.
When Paddy sees weeds on
someone’s farm, he notifies
the owner and they must act
upon his recommendations
or face a fine.
3
Corowa Shire Road Map
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Last updated: 24 June 2011
The Corowa Shire stretches for
2,329 square kilometres. Paddy often
drives 250-300 kilometres a day
doing inspections.
4
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Weeds can spread in many ways. Wind and
water carries the seeds away, and animals such
as livestock and birds can also spread weeds.
Moving machinery and vehicles are also a big
problem because the seeds are collected on
the tyres and then eventually dropped and grow
somewhere else.
5
Some of the main weeds that Paddy is trying
to eradicate in the Corowa area are Chilean
Needle Grass, Spiny Burrgrass, Horehound and
Blackberry. These weeds steal the moisture and
nutrients in the soil from other native plants.
Spiny Burrgrass is a particularly dangerous weed
that affects livestock, especially sheep. The burr
gets in the sheep’s eye and can blind them. It also
gets into the sheep’s wool reducing its quality.
Spiny Burrgrass
Horehound
6
Blackberry
Chilean Needle Grass is one of the most
destructive weeds in the Riverina area. Paddy
is very involved in getting rid of this weed in
particular. Paddy and his team spray in November,
before the short window of time ends. They need
to have it sprayed before the heat comes. They
spray for a whole month, nonstop. Each year, they
can spend up to $15,000 getting rid of Chilean
Needle Grass.
7
Paddy uses sprays to kill the noxious weeds.
He has a spray unit on the back of his work ute.
Paddy normally uses Roundup unless he needs
a stronger chemical. He has to wear protective
clothing, such as long gloves, boots and a mask,
when he is spraying. If Paddy spots weeds on
someone’s property, he advises the landholder
and it is their responsibility to get rid of the weeds.
8
A proactive method the shires in the Riverina
are using is the Red Guide Posts campaign. This
campaign was introduced to help reduce the
spread of high-risk weeds. Paddy is involved in
the installation of the Red Guide Posts for the
Corowa Shire area.
9
Two posts separate the area
where the weed is located.
One says ‘start’ and the other
says ‘end’. Civilians are urged
not to park or drive between
these posts, because if they
collect the weeds on their tyres
they will spread them to another
location.
10
The campaign started about 4 years ago and has
won a State Weed Management Award for Local
Government Excellence. It has been advertised by
TV, radio, window stickers, fact sheets, signs and
at events like the Henty Machinery Field Days.
11
Thanks to Paddy’s hard work in installing the Red
Guide Posts and spraying the weed infestations,
Corowa Shire is on its way to winning the war
against weeds.
12
Ryan Good, Alex Lavis, Matilda Robb, Clancy Tomlinson,
Adelaide Robb and Lachie Hogan
2015 Year 3-6, Lowesdale Public School
CONGRATULATIONS
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Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre and
the Creative Catchment Kids Program won the
2015 NSW Junior Landcare Team Award and will be
competing in the 2016 National Landcare Awards.
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