Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I want to speak about noxious weeds in my area of Flynn. Weeds cost Queensland $600 million annually and have a significant impact on primary industries. There are a number of noxious weeds in Central Queensland. They get about quickly and they outpopulate native trees and bushes, choking out pastures, clogging up waterways, smothering trees and bushes. They actually choke the life out of the native plants. I will list seven main weeds that are a constant curse to farmers in my electorate: giant rat's tail grass, prickly acacia, Parkinsonia, water hyacinth, African lovegrass, cat's claw and of course the old lantana, which has been around with us for a long, long time. Management of these weeds costs landholders thousands of dollars each year, and of course nonmanagement also costs landholders money and places biodiversity at risk. One of the most readily available and economical methods of managing these plants is poisoning. One of the most popular pesticides in the world is glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup. There are some recent concerns over the safety and viability of Roundup. Roundup is considered safe if handled well.