The ACT government has enlisted a new weapon in the fight against the growing blackberry and woody weed infestation along the Murrumbidgee River. And it means business.
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The eight-wheeled all terrain amphibious vehicle, the Argo 800, looks like something between a military tank and moon rover.
Early Thursday morning Kambah Beach was the testing ground for the Argo as contractors Jim and Christina Bariesheff tried manoeuvring it through deep water for the first time.
“It's a bit nerve-racking going in for the first time,” said driver Mrs Bariesheff.
But the all-terrain vehicle trudged through the sand, water and steep river bank without any problems.
ACT rangers said they were confident the new vehicle would be able to tackle the stubborn weeds dominating native fauna. The blackberry weed also provides a habitat for destructive introduced species such as rabbits and pigs, and are obstacles for platypuses burrowing on the riverbank.
Since the 2003 bush fires the ferocious blackberry weeds have spread to more than 300 hectares of the Murrumbidgee corridor, ACT ranger James Overall said.
Mr Overall said he was excited about the possibilities of the Argo 800.
“Traditional weed removal is really hard going and inefficient. This gives us the ability to take 200 litres of chemicals to a spot, pull the hose up, potentially to 60m to access some of these invasions that we'd otherwise have to do on foot,” he said.
Mr Overall was also confident of the vehicle's ecological footprint.
“It is a 400 kilo machine which equals out to 50 kilos per wheel, so it's got really low ground pressure.”
He also said only herbicide approved for use around waterways would be used to kill the invasive weeds.
Costing around $25,000 to hire and man, the Argo will tackle over 10km of river bank over the course of the ongoing three week project.
Waterwatch coordinator Martin Lind of the Southern Catchment ACT Group said he was surprised the group wasn't informed of the project, given its close relationship with ACT rangers.
But Mr Lind said he was glad to see the Argo had a fully sealed body and low ground pressure.
“We would not want to see another platypus sucked up under a bonnet as happened at Angle Crossing late last year.”
“I also hope they are careful not to squash any endangered Murray Crayfish in their efforts – 200 litres of herbicide is pretty heavy.”
But on the whole he said he was happy with the latest efforts to tackle the invasive weeds because it would increase the river's health as a natural ecosystem.
Murrumbidgee River Corridor area manager Tim Chaseling said the blackberry and woody weed removal would be an ongoing venture over many years.
“With everything we never give up, we've got to keep trying and trying with all these new avenues, as much as the blackberries are a good competitor on the weed front, in the parks service we're also quite a good adversary,” Mr Chaseling said.
