Eradicating priority prickle bushes in the Northern Territory - project outcomes
The 12-month eradicating priority prickle bushes in the Northern Territory (NT) project has delivered significant progress towards the eradication of prickly acacia and mesquite across the NT.
Supported by Australian and NT governments funding, together with significant in-kind contributions from landholders, the project has assisted 45 properties across more than 170,000 km2 of the Barkly and Katherine regions.
Over the past 12 months, more than 13,000 km of aerial and on-ground surveys were undertaken, resulting in the identification, mapping and treatment of more than 12,000 prickly acacia and mesquite infestations. More than 2 tonnes of herbicide were applied during control activities, demonstrating the scale of the project across the area.
The extensive field program also saw Weed Management branch officers spend a combined 176 nights in swags while conducting survey and control work in remote areas. This equates to about 72% of the 8-month field program, highlighting the substantial time officers spent working across the NT’s remote landscapes. In addition, officers inspected more than 1,600 historical weed sites, improving understanding of the current distribution and status of these high-priority weeds.
One of the project's key successes was the strong partnerships between participating landholders and the Weed Management branch. Landholders contributed helicopter time, herbicide, staff support and valuable local knowledge, while Weed Management branch officers provided technical expertise, training, mapping and best-practice control advice. Feedback from participating landholders was overwhelmingly positive, demonstrating the effectiveness of a collaborative approach to prickly acacia and mesquite eradication.
The project also supported the development of prickly acacia biocontrol initiatives, produced new weed identification and extension resources and enhanced weed data collection through the NT WeedMate App.
Information collected through the project will support the development and implementation of new eradication registers for prickly acacia and mesquite, providing a stronger evidence base to prioritise future surveillance and control activities across the NT.
Collectively, these achievements have established a strong foundation for ongoing eradication efforts. Maintaining this progress will require sustained landholder engagement and strategic follow-up activities to ensure infestations are contained and progressively reduced across the NT.
