Published on Wednesday, 4 May 2022 at 4:17:00 PM

A bold 16 month collaborative regional plan to tackle the impact of invasive blackberry on local agricultural production has come to an end with more than 300 landholders engaged in the project.

Following a successful combined grant application, the shires of Dardanup, Donnybrook Balingup and Collie joined forces on the project which received $948,798 in funding from the Federal Government’s ‘Communities Combating Pest and Weed Impacts During Drought’ Program.

Leschenault Catchment Council was engaged to run the large-scale blackberry control program across the three shires.

The LCC have worked closely with landholders and contractors to map and prioritise areas of infestation, build landholder capacity, deliver a significant spray program, and increase knowledge and awareness on the impacts of blackberry on land productivity and biodiversity in the region.

Statistics from the program include:

• 372 land packages treated
• 71 per cent portion of which were on private land
• 1,281ha treatment area
• 321 landholders engaged in the program
• 6 landholder workshops held (total of 75 attendees)

The project can now be utilised as a foundation to build future projects; with areas mapped for re-treating or for increasing our control

Back to All News