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Vic Gorse Taskforce
Vic Serrated Tussock Working Party
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Non Chemical Treatment Area

Land where the use of chemicals is inappropriate or not desired, such as organic properties and areas near waterways.

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Arable Land
Native Vegetation / Grass / wooded
Neighbouring Property
Non Chemical Treatment Area
Recovery area / fire / flood
Riparian / water front
Rocky outcrop
Roadside / linear reserve
Steep slope>25 ° / Inaccessible

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Strategic approach

A strategic plan saves time and money and gets the best results.

Minimise disturbance

Gorse establishes more readily after a flood, fire or when soil is disturbed through cultivation or erosion.

Revegetation

Other vegetation including trees that provide canopy cover will compete with gorse to inhibit its growth or re-establishment.

Pasture management

Healthy pastures, particularly grass-based pastures, compete against gorse seedlings.

Biocontrol

Biocontrol uses natural enemies of gorse to control the weed.

Grazing

Goats and sheep may help control gorse, depending on the size of infestation.

Burning

Useful for removing dead gorse treated by herbicide to improve access for follow-up treatment.

Grooming / Mulching

Involves cutting the gorse into pieces using a mulching head, hammer hill, groomer or similar attached to an excavator or an articulated arm on a backhoe.

Slashing

A large mechanical cutter attached to a tractor to reduce the body of gorse.

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Chemical Control
Land Management
Non-Chemical

Prevention of Spread

Preventing serrated tussock from establishing on your land is the most cost effective way of managing serrated tussock.

Machinery Hygiene

Short accredited vehicle and machinery hygiene courses are available to build your understanding of how to prevent serrated tussock spreading.

Stock Management

Measures can be taken to reduce the spread of serrated tussock seed by stock, internally and externally.

Slashing

Slashing reduces the height and seed production of serrated tussock plants using a mower or slasher or similar tool.

Shelter Belts/Wind Breaks

Shelterbelts reduce the movement of serrated tussock seeds across the landscape by catching the seeds.

Fencing

Mesh fencing helps capture serrated tussock seed heads, restricting the amount of seed blowing between properties and paddocks.

Grazing Management

Grazing management helps resist the invasion of serrated tussock by maintaining competition.

Pasture Management

Renovating existing pasture and resowing with desirable species is useful for controlling serrated tussock.

Forestry/Native Veg

Trees and shrubs compete with serrated tussock and reduce the movement of seeds across the landscape.

Mulching

Prevent weed growth by spreading straw, wood chips, plastic sheeting, cardboard or carpet over the ground.

Fire

Fire will remove serrated tussock biomass but will not kill mature plants and only control about 25 per cent of the seed bank.

Cultivation

To ensure adequate control, soil should be cultivated to a depth of 15 centimetres and sown with competitive crops or pasture to reduce serrated tussock regrowth.

Manual Removal/Chipping

Serrated tussock has shallow roots so you can dig the entire plant out from the ground using a hoe or mattock.

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Assessing Numbers
Warren Destruction
Other Management Methods

Baiting: Pindone with carrots/oats

Pindone is an anticoagulant poison and acts by reducing blood clotting. Pindone bait is mixed with fresh carrots or shelf stable oats and spread on disturbed ground in a trail manually or mechanically.

Baiting: 1080 with carrots/oats

1080 bait is mixed with either fresh carrots or shelf stable oats and spread on the ground in a trail manually or mechanically.

Fumigation

Fumigation involves using an approved fumigant tablet (such as aluminium phosphide for rabbits) that disperses toxic gas. This method is implemented after a baiting and ripping program, which has reduced large rabbit numbers.

Rabbit-proof fencing

Use rabbit-proof fencing to contain rabbits or exclude them from vulnerable areas such as threatened plant species, sensitive cultural sites and domestic gardens.

Remove potential rabbit shelters

The removal of shelter or harbour such as woody weeds, dense vegetation, debris and fallen timber, rock piles, rubbish and old machinery will reduce the habitat for rabbits and the establishment of new rabbit populations.

Locate feeding areas/grazing damage

Look for areas where pasture and vegetation are grazed by rabbits, often within 25 metres of a warren.

Locate warrens

Locate and map all warrens to identify your problem areas, understand the population numbers and identify where control works will be undertaken.

Spotlight surveys

Spotlighting is a key monitoring tool to assess your rabbit population and should be used before and after control methods are applied.

Work with your neighbours

Work with neighbours and land managers to develop a long-term plan to control rabbit populations across the local landscape.

Take advantage of fire/flood

Rabbit management after fire and flood is enhanced due to increased accessibility to warrens and reduced rabbit pressure.

Assessing control/warren counts

Count the number of warrens and entrances to compare the effectiveness of rabbit control programs before and after works.

Ripping

Warren modification, or ripping, is the total destruction and collapsing of rabbit warrens.

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Disclaimer

The information provided by this website is intended for general information only and should not be relied on or used as a substitute for professional advice for your particular situation.

Before undertaking any weed or rabbit management, always obtain advice from a qualified expert, with respect to your own situation. Always read and follow the label before using any of the products mentioned and ensure that you are undertaking weed and rabbit management in the appropriate conditions and in the appropriate manner.

We do not guarantee this website is without flaw of any kind, or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes, and therefore disclaim all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information contained on the website for any purpose.

This project is an initiative of the Victorian Gorse Taskforce, the Victorian Serrated Tussock Working Party and the Victorian Rabbit Action Network and is a funded project by the Australian Government Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper in collaboration with Agriculture Victoria.

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