VSTWP shares insights and experiences at the 2025 Victorian Weeds Conference

Last week, the team from the Victorian Serrated Tussock Working Party (VSTWP) travelled to the picturesque locale of the Victorian Weeds Conference 2025 held at the Hotel Bellinzona in Hepburn Springs.

The conference, organised by the Weed Society of Victoria (WSV), brought together weed‐management professionals, researchers, landholders and community groups to share knowledge and experiences in managing invasive plants across Victoria.

For the VSTWP, the event provided an ideal platform to highlight our work tackling the invasive grass Serrated Tussock and connect with landowners, agencies and fellow practitioners. Our presenters included Communications & Engagement Officer Ivan Carter, and Community Representatives Lachlan McIntyre and Vanessa Hutchins, all of whom contributed distinct perspectives on our on‐the‐ground program.

Ivan Carter’s presentation centred on our one-to-one landowner extension program. He shared how VSTWP extension officers engage directly with landholders, offering tailored advice, mapping support and follow-up visits to assist in managing Serrated Tussock infestations. His talk emphasised the benefits of personalised engagement: building trust, understanding unique property contexts (soil types, grazing regimes, neighbouring land use) and ensuring that management actions are practical and sustainable. The case studies he presented illustrated how this approach leads to not only reduced tussock abundance but also strengthened landowner capacity and awareness.

Meanwhile, Lachlan McIntyre and Vanessa Hutchins led a joint session covering our field-days and community events. They recounted recent gatherings held across northern and western Victoria where we invited landowners, neighbours and local weed groups to come together at field days and events. At these field-days we demonstrate best practice for Serrated Tussock control – including identifying the species, understanding its life-cycle, mapping its spread and applying control techniques. They described how the community is educated through extension and engagement at the events the VSTWP attend. Through photographs and attendee feedback, they highlighted how these events enhance awareness, build networks of land-holder champions, and promote region-wide momentum for managing Serrated Tussock.

Overall, the conference provided VSTWP with an excellent opportunity not only to showcase our work but also to learn from others in the weed-management sector, exchange ideas, and build new partnerships. We returned from Hepburn Springs enthused and ready to apply fresh insights into our engagement program. We look forward to continuing our support for landowners and communities to minimise the impact of Serrated Tussock across Victoria, through our engagement and extension processes.