From the Conservation Council of the ACT , 26 February 2016
Invasive weed management funding is now with Minister Gentleman after starting 2016 with Minister Rattenbury then being with Minister Fitzharris for a few weeks. The Conservation Council and Friends of Grasslands have sent a letter to Minister Gentleman calling for the cut to the weeds management allocation in the 2015‑16 Budget to be overturned and the weed budget be restored to around $2.5 million as recurrent funding.
We have written to bring the new Minister up to speed on weeds and to continue to deal with existing issues. We were disappointed at the 30% cut to the weeds management allocation in the 2015‑16 Budget and we do not agree, as the previous Minister claimed, that there had been an increase in “recurrent funding”.
Examination of Government figures shows recurrent base funding level for weeds management was not increased in the 2015‑16 Budget and that base funding has sat at about $500,000‑$600,000 for some years now (see graph as provided to Minister).
We need to continue to raise the need for a more realistic weeds allocation in this year’s Budget as part of biodiversity protection in the ACT.
