Invasive weeds are a huge threat to Australia's environment, economy, and society. Grasses like the large perennial grass are replacing native species at a cost to biodiversity and acting as a fuel to wildfire with the ability to intensify them by up to eight times.
It is estimated that the knock-on effects of weeds cost Australia's economy around $4 billion per annum, which explains why it has by earmarked by the Australian government as an issue Cape York in particular faces with dominant species like Gamba Grass.
Contrastingly if seeds are weeds were well managed Gamba Grass for example could increase the productivity of cattle farming by up to 40 times, since their ability to spread disease would be limited, in turn, this could have endless trickle-down effects such as giving people a higher income allowing people to have a better quality of life.
Therefore, our pilot project of a wash-down station will help combat the issues caused and reduce the biosecurity threat imposed by invasive species in the area, allowing native species to thrive again restoring the biodiversity in the place Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders call home.
#ewb #PeopleChallenge #group043 #CivilEngineers #engineering #design #CapeYork #WashDownStation #biosecurity #invasivespecies #ntu #FoodandLandManagement
@Kimberley Burgess @Reuben Williamson @Max Wilkinson