By Callum Ludwig
A Seville East resident and wool grower whose property adjoins a car park with access to the Warburton trail has raised some concerns about some native planting done by Yarra Ranges Council.
Julie Blake keeps alpacas and has had issues with the Acaena species, also known as the bidgee widgee or sheep’s burr.
Ms Blake said she has previously worked with Yarra Ranges Council’s Ribbons of Green and Bushland teams on planting efforts near and on her property.
“It’s always been a conscious effort not to plant invasive things, they know that I don’t like the kangaroo apple and a few different ones that once they get a hold, nothing else tends to get a look in because it’s so invasive,” she said.
“We’ve always dealt with and been smart about getting rid of dock, periwinkle and blackberries, there’s numerous different things like the buttercups at the moment, which seem to have gotten a foothold as in different seasons, obviously, it’s different as to what takes off,”
“When I saw this (bidgee widgee being planted) I initially asked Ben at the Bushland team what they were doing and he basically said that it’s Indigenous and they can plant it.”
Ms Blake has issues with the plant being so widespread in the Killara Station Carpark, which provides access to the Warburton Trail.
Ms Blake said she wished she had noticed it sooner, but will be continuing to monitor for it on her animals, in her paddocks and on her nature strip.
“We were lucky because where our animals are grazing down at the bottom there, they’ve grazed it so that it hasn’t had a chance to flower, and seed has not been forthcoming on the plants on our side of the fence,” she said.
“However, now that it’s overgrazed down there, the animals, and I’ve moved them now, but they were putting their head through the fence to get what’s on the other side and that’s where there are heaps of seed heads,”
“We breed our alpacas and we do sell our clip each year so it is a real problem because once it gets into the fleece, it dries and then it explodes and all the little seed heads are like a little hand grenade in there, they disperse through the fleece in that area, then it’s near impossible to pick out once it’s dried.”
Ms Blake has had to tediously remove burrs from the eyes of her alpacas, including purchasing tricin and optiflox (eye treatments) from the vet, and had to cut fleece around their toes. She is worried that her wool clip will be worthless and will possibly have to be burnt.
Ms Blake said she knows the value of Indigenous plants but that this instance was just a bad choice.
“I know that it is Indigenous, and I know the value of Indigenous plants, particularly ones that aren’t common, and when you get something like the lovely little blue beetle that only feeds on the bidgee widgee, it’s gorgeous,” she said.
“I get all the plants are just as important as our birds and bats and native fauna, it’s got lots of little intricacies but we as humans also have our own quirks and given that we domesticate and we impose on their domain more and more, I think we have to be careful,”
“We have to make good choices but on a walking trail and next to a farm that produces fleece, this was a bad choice.”
Yarra Ranges Council confirmed they are aware of a community member raising concerns about the bidgee-widgee (acaena novae-zelandiae) planted in Seville.
Director of Planning and Sustainable Futures at Yarra Ranges Council Kath McClusky said bidgee-widgee was planted by Council at Killara Station carpark, adjacent to Kylie Lane several years ago, as part of revegetation works.
“It was chosen due to its characteristic ability to bind soils, retain moisture and provide valuable habitat for frogs and other wildlife, We understand the impact that burrs can have for wool producers and we’ve been in contact with the community member and will work to find a solution that works for all parties,” she said.
“This indigenous plant commonly found in Yarra Ranges provides excellent ground cover and habitat, making it ideal to use in revegetation. The plant’s seed heads can stick in the fur of animals and in socks for people walking through it. While these seed heads can be an inconvenience, they don’t burrow into the skin like many grass seeds so they don’t cause injury to dogs and other animals.”
