This is a most important article that is, in major part, dealing with the crushing problem of weeds. There are only two things that unite all stakeholders, whether farmers or environmentalists, in the Integrated Catchment Management group that I am involved in: weeds and feral animals. It is not possible to overstate the magnitude of the problem, the list is literally endless because more and more weed species keep turning up. Examples within a few kilometers from here are a freshwater swamp area that is becoming a monoculture of the Pond Apple, streams that are full of para grass that traps sediment and reduces flow capacity to a small fraction of what it was. Sick jokes such as the fact that in some streams the para grass is no more - it has been out competed by the even worse weed Hymenachne, great areas overrun by Lantana, pastures damaged by Tobacco weed - a nasty thing that penetrates even well canopied ares of rainforest, Siam weed, and so on.
It is clear that only biological methods can control such species and that requires cash in proportion to the magnitude of the problem, ie a lot for a long time. The same applies to control of feral animals such as pig.
Sadly that is not all that is needed. Other large sums are needed NOW to implement what can be seen as major holding operations to try to prevent, or at least slow, the expansion and proliferation of the problems, whilst the necessary biological controls are found.

It is tragic that the issue, one of such clear national importancs is not a major public discussion point, for until it is there can be little hope that politicians will take serious, proportionate action.

It is all so depressing.

that last line got some sympathy. but i get depressed by the fact that ozzies are so helpless. in california, you'd start a citizen initiative action and get something done in spite of the pollies, if the citizens thought it should be done. not here. here you just wring your hands, and whinge.

now that is depressing, because it's not just weeds that need attention, it's the whole nation being taken over by pollies.

Most Aussies have no idea what is happening in the countryside,
as they live in the cities.

Most pollies have one aim, to win elections and buy votes if
needbe. As people seem to tend to vote in terms of their
hip pocket and what benefits their short term self interest,
thats where the money will go.

In West Australia we have a classic example of that. The
chardonay set live on the coast in the city. Regional areas
are now largely ignored, more like just tolerated, as their
votes don't matter anymore, in the bigger scheme of things.

Yet wealth in WA is mostly generated in regional areas, by
a small % of the population. Its spent in Perth navel gazing
about such issues as to how many hundreds of millions should
be spent on the new football stadium etc. So things like
weeds or feral wild dogs, hardly get a look in.

What we have is pollies acting in their own short term
self interest. What we are desparately short of is statesmen
with some kind of vision. Longer term, Australia will pay
a huge cost for that, as this thread highlights.

Yup, its a crying shame.

"New reports show that biodiversity is indeed threatened by the spread of invasive plants, both at the local and national scale. Indeed, we now know that invasive plants and animals together represent the principal immediate threat to Australia’s biodiversity.

Yet many concerned scientists are effectively being forced to ignore this evidence when applying for funds to support their work, as they know that only the commercial aspects will be considered relevant."

Who among us (or in far off foreign lands) benefits or profits most from this appalling situation Rachael?

There is one weed alone that is doing enormous damage in northern Australia – Gamba Grass.

‘What’, you say? ‘Which grass?’ ‘Never heard of it?’

Exactly!

Very few people have. And yet it has overrun large parts of the Top End, is getting foothold in various places in Queensland, and has the potential to invade and destroy a large portion of the vast savannah woodlands across the continent.

It is a grass that grows 4 metres or more in height, very densely, which leads to much hotter fires with devastating ecological consequences.

I reckon it alone could cause as much damage as all the clearing that has happened in Queensland and New South Wales over the last fifty years.

Then there is Mimosa pigra, Lantana camara, Hymenachne amplexicaulis, Paragrass, Siam weed…. and hundreds of others that are known to be major problems overseas in habitats and climatic conditions similar to large parts of Australia that have not yet escaped here.

We certainly do have distorted economics. In fact, so grossly distorted and misleading as to indicate prosperity when in fact many meaningful indicators, not least weed-spread, point towards a rapid decline in our ecological, economic and overall future wellbeing.

So is anything likely to change under a Rudd government?

Unfortunately for the great majority of decent, hard-working Australians, No, Ludwig.
The "distorted economics" or "economic myopia" are not difficult to understand - they are the (intentional) result of a powerfull ideology, known by the rest of the world's oppressed and exploited peoples as 'neo-liberal economic THEORY' (also neo-conservative theory or neo-conservatism by the pundits) or 'Economic Rationalism' here in 'The Lucky Country'!
Little if anything will change for the better under the globally dominant Capitalist mode of social production and re-production ... the rich (the Capitalist Class) will continue to rule over the rest of humanity ... aided and abetted by the well-rewarded members of the financial/managerialist class... until they are removed from power!