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Alert issued to residents and travellers after dangerous find on side of Aussie roads
Aussie residents in the west are being urged to keep an eye out for an invasive grass that can pose a serious risk after multiple sightings recently.
Gamba grass looks harmless enough, but the weed outcompetes native grasses having a deleterious impact on the local environment's biodiversity and also increasing the fire risk of the area it colonises.
Recent routine surveillance in the Kimberley region of Western Australia by the state's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) found several immature gamba grass plants along several roads, prompting authorities to urge residents, workers and travellers in the area to report any others they see.
The tropical perennial grass species, which was brought to Australia in the 1940s as a way to help feed cattle, grows in dense and tall clumps.
"It is has become a significant weed across northern Australia due to its ability to grow to over four metres high and form dense patches, which can burn at high intensity — posing a risk to flora and fauna, livestock and human life," DPIRD's regional biosecurity coordinator Lindsay Strange said.
"While the recent detections have been removed, it's important for DPIRD to know of any new sightings of the weed so department officers can take action."
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The grass is native to Africa but was widely promoted to the pasture industry and planted in the 1980s. It has now become a huge pest in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. WA has been working to eradicate the weed, but says the help of the public is needed.
While the species was listed as a weed of national significance in 2012, models estimate that it could potentially invade 380,000 square kilometres — bigger than the entire country of Japan.
Speaking to Yahoo News, Dr Carol Booth from the Invasive Species Council raised the alarm over the threat posed by the grass at the start of summer last year.
"At the moment gamba grass has invaded about four per cent of the area it could invade, so it's one of these grasses, where you look into the future and you just want to cry. It's just really concerning,' she said.
"The fires that it fuels burn five to 20 times more intensely than native grasses do. That's the scary thing," she added.
According to the DPIRD, the grass has strappy leaves that can grow up to 60 centimetres in length, with a distinctive white midrib, which are covered with soft hairs, while fluffy flower heads form on tall stems between April and June, depending on weather conditions.
Gamba grass remains green long into the dry season, when most native grasses have hayed off.
Gamba grass sightings can be easily reported via DPIRD's MyPestGuide Reporter app or to its Pest and Disease Information Service on (08) 9380 3080
