Prickly acacia is a major invasive species and one that threatens to impact on native habitats as well as agricultural businesses across Queensland. It spreads quickly and is difficult to kill. Worse still, the recent devastating floods in Outback Queensland have spread the seed further than before and millions of seedlings are now emerging. Left unchecked this could become an environmental disaster putting large areas of Queensland's iconic channel Country at risk.
In March this year, your Government promised to work alongside the Federal government and create a $10 million fund to combat the infestation. It was a welcome announcement, and one many people in Outback Queensland were grateful to receive.
However, Minister Furner has since said that the money was to fund the entire Queensland Feral Pest Initiative, not just prickly acacia.
It was a low blow to communities already doing it tough.
Please honour the commitment made by your Government to tackle prickly acacia properly. The people and wildlife of Outback Queensland are depending on a large-scale effort to tackle this dangerous weed.