Background to Tussock Tamers:

Tussock Tamers is a community driven holistic approach to weed management in the Upper Lachlan Catchment. The campaign emerged from the Jerrawa Creek Landcare Group “Land water life” summit of 2009 where serrated tussock was noted as the most pressing agricultural and environmental problem in the Jerrawa Creek Catchment.  In 2010 Jerrawa Creek Landcare and partners launched Tussock Tamers as a community awareness campaign. In 2011 Upper Lachlan Landcare took the Tussock Tamers concept to the entire Upper Lachlan Catchment introducing Integrated Weed Management workshops, Individual property visits, trial sites, case studies and over several field days spread over the catchment. This proved to be highly successful with over 180 farming families attending workshops, 100 property visits and over 300 attending field days.

Tussock Tamers has been reborn in 2013 through a Caring for Our Country Grant. The delivery of the program has been stream lined with workshops targeting different demographics within the community such as women’s weed workshops, weekenders weed workshops, seniors weed workshops, and a master class for experienced weed warriors.

Tussock Tamers is about so much more than weeds, it is the first step/hook for many landowners into Landcare, starting with property planning and grazing management. It has helped to lift the stigma of serrated tussock infestation and the associated guilt and has helped to stop the blame game, neighbours, council etc. The Tussock Tamers program has also helped to reinvigorate other local Landcare groups within the catchment with funding for the groups to host Tussock Tamers Field days and events in their localities and has given a vital injection to Upper Lachlan Landcare dramatically increasing the email database and contacts leading to an increase in participation at all Landcare field days and events.

 Tussock Tamers

Serrated Tussock i s a serious environmental, economic and social menace in the Upper Lachlan. Yes, it can be controlled but to make lasting headway we need to attack it together. As well as a legal obligation to do so, it is most of all about being a good neighbour.

  • Long term management of serrated tussock needs a well thought out plan that takes into account your particular area and circumstances.
  • We can only make inroads into this problem if everybody works together.
  • It requires a sustained effort by all of us. Tussock Tamers aims to create community awareness of the serrated tussock problem and gain commitment from everybody to make their best effort to tackle it.

Thats why Tussock Tamers is giving people the opportunity to join others in locally based short courses on natural resource managment, weed control and property planning. Visit the Tussock Tamers Website to find out more. www.tussocktamers.com