2022 Australian Biosecurity Awards – Community
Victorian Community Pest Management Groups
A partnership between four Victorian Community Pest Management Groups has received a 2022 Australian Biosecurity Award in the Community category.
The four voluntary Community Pest Management Groups (CPMGs) formed a partnership with Agriculture Victoria to deliver the Weeds and Rabbits Project – a $4.3 million initiative to improve the way established pest animals and weeds are managed in Victoria. The project ran from 2016 to 2021 and was funded by the Australian Government. The 4 groups are the Victorian Rabbit Action Network (VRAN), the Victorian Serrated Tussock Working Party (VSTWP), the Victorian Gorse Taskforce (VGT), and the Victorian Blackberry Taskforce (VBT).
Invasive species cause substantial economic and environmental damage across Australia. The Weeds and Rabbits Project recognised the need to build the capability and capacity of those who lead, coordinate and support invasive species management activities, to ensure effective and sustainable weed and rabbit management.
The partnership also focused on shifting government and community thinking about pest and weed management as a government responsibility to an emphasis on community-led, government-supported pest and weed management.
The project partners formed the Delivery Leadership Group to guide project investment and decision-making, and involved the community. The governance approach was critical for supporting collective, community-led action on weeds and rabbits, and building collaborative relationships between government, industry and the community to maintain Australia’s biosecurity integrity.
This commitment acknowledges that individuals and community groups need to be involved, not just in undertaking established invasive species control but also in the design and delivery of biosecurity programs.
The project supported CPMGs to deliver projects that enable the community and key land managers to control weeds and rabbits. This also enhanced the capacity of CPMGs to work more efficiently and effectively, and to deliver initiatives to support community management, including working with young people and Indigenous groups.
The CPMG projects raised awareness and provided advice to land managers in best-practice control techniques, delivered 223 events and engaged with over 5,000 people. The CPMGs also supported collaboration between land managers, provided resources to land managers to overcome financial barriers to pest control, and built the capacity of key community members and organisations working on biosecurity.
The Victorian Community Pest Management Groups were nominated by Heidi Kleinert from Agriculture Victoria.