BIOSECURITY, a word lately loaded with negative connotations, has special meaning for workers at the Riverina Weeds exhibit at the Henty Machinery Field Days.
Manned on Wednesday by NSW Primary Industries Department invasive species officer Michael Michelmore and Wagga Wagga City vegetation management officer Christopher Holman, the pair played down the new Act's potential for conflict.
"The old noxious weed program is now under the auspices of biosecurity," said Mr Michelmore.
"We're still getting things right, but if people download the NSW Weedwise app, there are images and descriptions to help identify weeds, suggested control methods and biosecurity duty is outlined," he said.
Asked about farmers often bemoaning the fact the weeds stopped at their fence line, but beyond, on public property, there remained a problem and an inherent risk to their properties, Mr Michelmore urged farmers to tell councils there was a problem.
"The Act applies to all landholders," he said, "there is a general duty and it's applied universally".
He said approach was important.
"A straight out complaint immediately creates a barrier between parties, be they a council, state government, or a neighbour," he said.
"Shaming doesn't work."
Wagga’s Chris Holman agreed.
"Council needs to know where there's a problem, they often don't know," said Mr Holman.
"I think Wagga council covers a quarter of a million hectares, that's a lot of land and a lot of roadsides.
"We really can't know where every outbreak of weeds is, and we're supposed to know about all the private land and the rivers as well."
Mr Michelmore said he envisaged an approach without conflict, where people could openly discuss areas that needed attention.
"It's the same with us, if we go into defence mode when told about an outbreak of weeds, well that's the wrong approach too.
"A bloke called in the other day, about what he thought was an outbreak of African lovegrass.
"It turned out it wasn't, but we thanked him for calling because if it was, we needed to know about it," he said.
Yet Mr Michelmore said spraying roadsides was a thankless and dangerous task.
Mr Holman agreed, saying flashing yellow lights didn't mean a lot to many motorists.
"Try and inspect the edge of the Hume (highway) when cars are doing 120 kilometres an hour,” he said.,
Both men said the most important aspect of biosecurity was to get over the laying of blame and all parties getting on with solving the spreading weed problem.
"Often, you know, the best discussions are among neighbours over the bonnet of a ute," said Mr Michelmore.
