Strengthening weed data sharing across Victoria: Key insights from a Statewide Collaboration Project

The Victorian Serrated Tussock Working Party (VSTWP), in partnership with the Victorian Gorse Taskforce (VGT) and the Victorian Blackberry Taskforce (VBT), recently took part in a ground-breaking statewide initiative to improve how invasive plant species data is collected and shared across Victoria.

With support from RM Consulting Group (RMCG), the project set out to understand the opportunities and challenges associated with cross-tenure weed data sharing. Through a statewide survey and two regional forums, the project engaged land managers, local government, and community members to identify barriers and explore practical solutions for improved data collaboration.

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Project Overview

The aim was clear: to strengthen the effectiveness of pest plant management through better coordination and data transparency. The initiative revealed a landscape of passionate individuals and organisations doing important work, yet often in isolation and using inconsistent tools, platforms, and practices.

Key Findings

  • Widespread Weed Data Collection: Most survey participants actively record weed data to inform their own management practices, primarily using mobile apps, GPS units, or traditional pen and paper.

  • Barriers to Data Sharing: Key challenges include inconsistent data formats, unclear data ownership, limited staff training, and internal organisational policies.

  • Need for Awareness and Consistency: Many stakeholders were unaware of existing successful weed mapping collaborations. There was also a call for clearer guidance on what data to collect and how to do it effectively.

  • Collaboration Builds Momentum: An unexpected benefit of the regional forums was the stronger connections forged between stakeholders. Local governments, in particular, highlighted the value of sharing knowledge to drive consistency in weed data collection.

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Recommendations for Action

The findings have informed four key recommendations designed to support better data sharing and weed management across Victoria:

1. Promote Best Practices and Tools

Raise awareness of successful collaborative weed mapping projects and encourage the use of user-friendly, accessible tools like WeedScan and iNaturalist, which feed directly into the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas (VBA).

2. Facilitate Networking Opportunities

Host regular networking events for land managers, councils, and volunteers to share knowledge, align practices, and learn from each other’s successes and challenges.

3. Support Data Standardisation Efforts

Encourage the involvement of Community Pest Management Groups (CPMGs) in state-level discussions on data consistency. A shared data dictionary would help overcome inconsistencies and make data more useful across platforms and regions.

4. Develop a Decision-Support Tool

Create a practical mapping guide for land managers to help identify what data to collect, how to collect it, and which systems are best suited for their needs. This tool would improve the consistency, quality, and usefulness of weed data for on-ground action and long-term planning.

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Looking Forward

The VSTWP recognises that better weed data sharing is not a challenge to be solved by any one group alone. However, by fostering collaboration, sharing success stories, and improving access to tools and information, the community can work together to protect Victoria’s landscapes from the threat of invasive plants.

This project represents a valuable step toward that vision—bringing people together, uncovering shared challenges, and lighting a path toward more coordinated and effective pest plant management.

Thank you to Agriculture Victoria for providing the funding for this Project and to all stakeholders involved, including RMCG for producing the survey, methodology, report and summary. The VSTWP will consider the recommendations and how we can implement the findings into our data collection. 

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