Gorse and Blackberry Slashing Services Victoria

Gorse is a Weed of National Significance. It is regarded as one of the worst weeds in Australia because of its invasiveness, potential for spread, and economic and environmental impacts. It is a major agricultural weed in Tasmania and parts of Victoria, and is increasingly becoming a threat as an environmental weed in many national parks and other bushland areas. In pastoral areas it provides shelter for pests such as rabbits, increases the risk of bushfires because of its flammability, reduces access by forming dense thickets and dramatically reduces stocking rates.

In Tasmania the cost of gorse to the state’s woolgrowers in lost production alone has been conservatively estimated at about $1 million annually. In Victoria

the costs of gorse to the community in the central highlands region were recently estimated at $7 million over five years. Control of gorse, like all weeds, requires persistence, with initial costs of between $200 and $1000 per ha and requires ongoing follow-up treatment of seedlings. The weed Gorse is a prickly, perennial, evergreen legume which, if left undisturbed, will grow to a height of more than 3 m. It produces deep and extensive roots. All its stems and leaves are prickly, ending in a sharp spine. The plant produces huge numbers of brown to black seeds in grey hairy pods, each pod holding three or four seeds. The seeds have a hard, water-resistant coating which allows them to remain dormant in the soil for up to 30 years.