Prickly acacia is regarded as one of the worst weeds in Australia because of its invasiveness, potential for spread, and economic and environmental impacts.

At present over 6.6 million hectares of arid and semi-arid Queensland are infested with prickly acacia, mainly in the Mitchell Grass Downs.

The economic impacts of prickly acacia on Queensland’s grazing industry are estimated at $5 million per year. Even at medium densities, it halves the primary productivity of grasslands, interferes with stock mustering and restricts stock access to water. 

Southern Gulf NRM Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Maclean said, prickly acacia was a huge problem for North West Queensland producers.

“If left uncontrolled will destroy the productivity of the magnificent Mitchell Grass Downs that are the foundation of our grazing industries,” he said.

“It is a huge threat for producers in Queensland.

“On a regional level the seed is easily transported from property to property through cattle, lasting in their stomach for up to 10 days. It is vital that producers have biosecurity measures in place to deal with the spread.

“The workshop focuses on the demonstration of control technology methods.

“As each property and infestation is different, there is no one size fits all method, so as new technology becomes available we provide information to producers.”