WESTERN TREATMENT PLANT

This site is located within the Port Phillip Bay Western Shoreline Ramsar site and comprises mostly of the endangered Plains Grassland with some small areas of vulnerable Coastal Saltmarsh. We manage this high quality grassland, predominantly treating Nassella species and other high threat weed species such as Artichoke Thistle, which have been all but eliminated from the site. Due to the relatively low infestation rates of said high threat weeds we have been able to move down the list of priorities to species of weeds such as annual grasses by brushcutting. This method allows us to simulate critically important fire disturbance regimes and is unlikely to damage native grasses while applying pressure to invasive species. Recovery of these areas has been promising and in the absence of the large biomass of previous year’s annual weeds we can see clearly the infestations that were concealed within to treat them effectively and efficiently. We also remove Gold Dust Wattle and Cassinias as, while they are native, act as a woody weed in this area, quickly overtaking grassland areas.

 

Activities undertaken during this project include:

• Spot spraying / hand weeding Nassellas and other invasive grasses.

• Removing Acacia species to maintain grassland vegetation community.

• Brushcutting annual grasses and to simulate fire disturbance

 

Project highlights:

• Positive recovery of areas dominated by large, dense patches of annual grasses after slashing.

• Rediscovering patches of Ptilotus (Pussytails) and allowing them to spread, flower and seed prolifically.

• Sighting Brolgas in one of their few locations in Victoria.