Current Projects

The West Coast Weed and Fire Management Group is involved in a number of community based environmental projects with full support from local, private and government groups.  Funding for such projects comes from a range of groups including Cradle Coast NRM through the National Heritage Trust funds, Forestry Tasmania, Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania, West Coast Council, and various other government agencies and businesses such as the various mining groups that operate on the West Coast.

Project Penghana

This project is focused on the education of West Coast Youth and the rehabilitation of the gardens at the heritage listed Penghana House in Queenstown. 

$18,696.70 worth of funding has been acquired from the Australian Government's Department of Transport and Regional Services through its Regional Partnerships program for the project, which also has support from local businesses. 

Students from Mountain Heights High School and Rosebery District High School will be involved in the program which will see five student from each school take part one day a week for ten weeks to achieve a certificate 1 in horticulture through TAFE Tasmania.   Tasks that will take place include path restoration, garden beatification and weed removal.

Environmental Weed Control on West Coast Highways

Woody weed control is at full steam on all main roads in the West Coast Municipality.  The West Coast Weed and Fire Management Group are currently conducting contracted works for treatment of gorse and broom throughout the highway system. 

Treatment is aimed at following up regrowth of previously treated areas and continuing to treat infestations with the potential for spread.  One area which has required urgent attention is the Henty Main Road between the Henty Bridge and the Little Henty Bridge.  The area had previously been treated by mechanical mulch and cultivation techniques and as part of the long term commitment to gorse control on this section of road, the West Coast Weed and Fire Management Group have applied a herbicide treatment to the regrowth, with obvious results. 

The project will continue into the New Year with the aim of suppressing woody weed spread on the West Coast. The $44,000 required for the project is courtesy of Forestry Tasmania, Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania, West Coast Council, DIER, and Cradle Coast NRM.