5 days ago
WA government changes tack on destructive shot-hole borer, but is it ‘too little, too late'?
The West Australian government's capitulation in the fight to eradicate an invasive pest responsible for the removal of some of Perth's grandest trees has been decried as 'tragic', and newly announced research funding lashed as 'too little, too late'.
Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis revealed the change in strategy on Thursday morning after a meeting of the National Management Group the day prior deemed it was no longer technically feasible to eradicate the polyphagous shot-hole borer.
Instead, the government has shifted to a 'management' approach that will focus on limiting its spread.
But Invasive Species Council policy director Dr Carol Booth said it was tragic news with 15 native tree species in WA identified as 'highly or very highly susceptible' to the shot-hole borer.
These included iconic species like paperbarks, banksias and eucalypts.
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'Another 23 species are moderately susceptible, and that's just in WA. It implies hundreds of native species across the country could be at risk if the borer spreads,' Booth said.
'We are also gravely concerned about the loss of urban trees, which provide vital habitat, shade, beauty and health benefits in our cities and towns. The environmental and social toll could be immense.
'Now that eradication is off the table, the priority must be stopping the borer from spreading beyond the Perth region.'
