Breaking News

Weed clearing made easy

Friday 18 April, 2008 9:00am

THE Hawkesbury River will finally get its own permanent hair trimmer, after the Federal Government came good on its election promise to pay for an aquatic weed harvester.

Federal Climate Change and Water Minister Penny Wong made the $500,000 announcement on the banks of the Nepean River at the rowing club.

Ms Wong said the harvesting job would be put to tender soon but was expected to begin weed clearing before next summer.

She said the harvester would benefit residents and visitors alike, who used the river as a "playground and tourist attraction" for activities like boating and rowing.

"Reducing the need to use herbicides, it will also have benefits for the environment," she said.

The weed harvester would be used by the Hawkesbury River County Council, the body responsible for noxious weeds control.

Council weeds operations manager David Karlson said the new aluminium Australian-made harvester with paddlewheels would hold 20 cubic metres of weed and bring it to shore.

"They've got one sitting in Queensland right now. The benefit of the harvester is that it removes it straight away there's nothing breaking down in the water."

Mr Karlson said in 2004 when salvinia weed stretched 70 km down the river "everything went wrong that could go wrong".

The Hawkesbury Nepean is the new home to a range of exotic invaders, which strangle and take over Australian native plants like ribbon weed.

Lindsay Federal Labor MP David Bradbury said the government was making good an election promise, but he and others would continue to lobby for more river help.

STORIES IN THIS SECTION: