VICTORIAN BLACKBERRY TASKFORCE
BLACKBERRY THE WEED
Blackberry the weed (Rubus fruticosus aggregate) is a serious issue across much of Victoria, and a serious concern for farmers, peri-urban land holders and public land managers.
Blackberry can severely decrease the productive capacity of land, alter water flow, lead to erosion problems and provide harbour for pest animals. In addition it can out-compete and displace native plant species and lead to a loss of biodiversity.
The Victorian Blackberry Taskforce was established in 2001 to work with Victorian communities and government agencies to provide a collaborative effort to control blackberry. Together, the Taskforce’s community partnership program covers over 280,000 hectares of public and private land infested by blackberry.
Our website hosts a source of information on blackberry, control measures and case studies, and how your community can work with the Taskforce to establish a community-led program. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us or visit our blog ‘blackberrytheweed’ for up-to-date information.
Managing blackberry is long-term and generally cannot be achieved by one-off strategies, particularly for larger infestations. The three main management options available for blackberry include physical control, biological control and herbicides.
VBT CASE STUDIES
The Victorian Blackberry Taskforce is committed to working with communities and partner agencies to reduce the growth and spread of blackberry in Victoria. The Case Studies featured here demonstrate the determination of communities and individual landholders, in a range of circumstances, to find ways of tackling blackberry to reclaim and restore land.
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