The Good Neighbour Program
Through the Good Neighbour Program, the government aims to cooperate with other landholders to control weeds and pests on the boundary between public and private land.
Pest plants and animals have a significant impact on Victoria's natural environment and biodiversity, as well as affecting the productivity of the land. Weeds and pests do not recognise the boundary between private and public land, so addressing this challenge requires a cooperative approach.
GNP Brochure
[PDF File - 305.7 KB]
GNP Achievements 2007-08
[PDF File - 2.2 MB]
By working together the Government, farmers and the community can protect the environment and help stop pests and weeds impacting on our land's sustainability.
The objectives of the program are:
- build positive relations with neighbours by reducing the extent of weeds and pests on public land that impact on private land
- ensure weed and pest management on public land takes account of community priorities and actions
- support community-based programs occurring on adjoining private land
- integrate weed and pest management with other natural resource management objectives
- demonstrate government is a 'Good Neighbour' by controlling weeds and pest animals on the public and private land interface.
Each year the GNP funds hundreds of projects targeting control of animals such as rabbits, foxes, pigs, goats and wild dogs, as well as priority weed species.
In 2010-11, $2.3 million will support almost 400 weed and pest control projects on public land across Victoria. Funding for each catchment management area is as follows:
- Corangamite - $200 000 will be shared across 14 projects targeting serrated tussock, boneseed, gorse, rabbits and foxes.
- East Gippsland - $240 000 will be shared across 46 projects targeting blackberry, English broom, ragwort, Paterson's curse, Cape broom, spiny rush, St John's wort, pigs, goats, wild dogs and foxes.
- Glenelg Hopkins - $165 000 will be shared across 21 projects targeting blackberry, Cape tulip, African feathergrass, St John's wort, gorse, horehound, spear thistle and rabbits.
- Goulburn Broken - $193 500 will be shared across 38 projects targeting blackberry, holly, Paterson's curse, Cape broom, St John's wort, Chilean needle grass, bridal creeper, hawthorn and foxes.
- Mallee - $224 000 will be shared across 35 projects targeting cactus, boxthorn, bridal creeper, silver leaf nightshade, rabbits, foxes and wild dogs.
- North Central -$307,000 will be shared across 58 projects targeting blackberry, gorse, bridal creeper, boxthorn, Paterson's curse, ground cherry, boneseed, horehound, Chilean needle grass, wheel cactus, rabbits and foxes.
- North East - $321 000 will be shared across 45 projects targeting blackberry, gorse, St John's Wort, rabbits and wild dogs
- Port Phillip and Western Port - $283 500 will be shared across 64 projects targeting blackberry, gorse, boxthorn, ragwort, St John's wort, St Peter's wort, Paterson's curse, Japanese honeysuckle, Chilean needle grass, Cape tulip, serrated tussock, foxes, rabbits and wild dogs.
- West Gippsland - $210 000 will be shared across 46 projects targeting blackberry, gorse, boxthorn, ragwort, St John's Wort, Paterson's curse, foxes and rabbits.
- Wimmera - $146 000 will be shared across 26 projects targeting bridal creeper, boneseed, hardheads, boxthorn, St John's wort, rabbits, foxes, Cape tulip, rabbits and foxes.
Further information is available on Good Neighbour Projects and on how to get a project in your area.
If you have a concern about pest plants and animals on public land adjoining your property, contact the Customer Service Centre and ask for your regional Good Neighbour Program Coordinator.
Good Neighbour Tender
The Good Neighbour Tender is a pilot program in North Eastern Victoria that offers landholders the opportunity to competitively bid for funds to manage certain weed species up to 30 metres inside adjoining public land.