Lantana (Lantana camara L.)

2.8 Principles underpinning the plan

This strategic plan is based on the seven principles outlined in the Australian Weeds Strategy (NRMMC 2007):

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  Weed management is an essential and integral part of the sustainable management of natural resources for the benefit of the economy, environment, human health and amenity.
  
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  Combating weed problems is a shared responsibility that requires all parties to have a clear understanding of their roles.
  
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  Good science underpins the effective development, monitoring and review of weed management strategies.
  
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  Prioritisation of, and investment in, weed management must be informed by a risk management approach.
  
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  Prevention and early detection are the most cost-effective techniques for managing weeds.
  
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  Weed management requires coordination among all levels of government in partnerships with industry, land and water managements, and the community, regardless of tenure.
  
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  Building capacity across government, industry, land and water managers, and the community is fundamental to effective weed management.
  

The WoNS initiative establishes national priorities and facilitates action where there is a significant national or cross-jurisdictional benefit to be gained. These strategic plans do not specifically address resourcing; however, they aim to identify efficiencies and ensure existing resources can be allocated to achieve the most strategic management outcomes.

Effective widespread weed management, requires an approach that spans the biosecurity continuum. This includes prevention and eradication programs, establishment and defence of containment lines, and the protection of key environmental, social and economic assets in areas where the weeds are already widespread (Figure 3).

Source: Modified from Hobbs & Humphries (1995) and DPI (2010).

Figure 3 Stages of weed invasion with corresponding goals, management objectives and actions at each stage

2.8.1 The national program—progress to date

The Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council (Resolution 15.7, 21 May 2009) endorsed a three-phased approach to national management of WoNS species (Appendix 1). The lantana program was reviewed against the strategic plan’s objectives in September 2009 and the following key achievements were identified:

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  establishment and maintenance of an independent advisory group – the National Lantana Management Group (NLMG)
  
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  declaration of L. camara in all states and territories of Australia
  
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  inclusion of all species of Lantana on the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Services (now Biosecurity Australia) prohibited import list
  
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  development of field-tested, best-practice guidelines and decision-support information, enabling a cost-effective, multi-year integrated weed management approach (Stock et al. 2009)
  
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  development of regional-scale remote sensing mapping of lantana distribution (100 m × 100 m scale) (DERM 2010)
  
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  identification and prioritisation of the native species and ecosystems threatened by L. camara and publication of the Plan to protect environmental assets from lantana (NLMG 2010)
  
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  development and extension of a comprehensive range of information and awareness products
  
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  establishment of the Southern and Northern Lantana Containment Lines
  
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  instigation of control programs for an estimated 75 per cent of outlier infestations
  
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  support for the lantana biological control program by releasing and establishing two new biocontrol agents
  
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  increase the range of control techniques available.
  

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  a lack of multispecies monitoring of the impacts of biocontrol agents
  
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  difficulties in engaging state, regional and local stakeholders to enforce compliance with legislation and policies to establish long-term coordinated control programs at strategic sites (southern New South Wales excepted)
  
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  lack of a national system to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and current status of control programs.
  

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  ensuring strategic management of outliers across Australia
  
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  engaging all stakeholders in a landscape approach to reduce biodiversity impacts and further spread within priority localities
  
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  development and distribution of new biological control agents from the revised genetic centre of origin of Australian lantana
  
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  establishment and maintenance of a monitoring system to demonstrate the effectiveness of control programs and for early warning of any varieties that are not being effectively controlled with existing technologies
  
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  enabling the best-practice extension message to reach the diversity of people in the peri-urban and rural regions
  
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  ensuring governance that includes capacity for the NLMG to provide input into the nationally strategic value of funding applications that include management of lantana.
  

2.8.2 Process followed—development of the revised strategic plan

Representatives from the NLMG participated in a facilitated program logic workshop to develop the basic structure of the strategic plan. This process ensured that all assumptions were carefully considered and that there were logical linkages between objectives, strategic actions and desired intermediate to long-term program outcomes.

From this base document, a draft strategic plan was developed and distributed for public consultation. All comments received were supportive of the direction and content of the plan, and in most cases, only minor corrections of the plan were required. The only significant comment that could not be addressed related to the need for additional resources to fund the plan’s delivery. This strategic plan does not specifically address resourcing; however, it aims to identify efficiencies and ensure existing resources can be allocated to achieve the most strategic management outcomes.

The plan provides general direction for the management of lantana in Australia; however, funding priorities will be assessed on merit and relative to other local priorities.

The Australian Weeds Committee, with the support of key stakeholders, will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating the management of the WoNS initiative. Further information on suggested monitoring and evaluation questions is included in Section 5.