The October rains appear to have pushed Hudson Pear into new territory, leading some to say containment of the plant is being mismanaged. 

Brenda McBride from the Joint Management Committee at the Narran Lakes National Park has told the Western Plains App that she has seen Hudson Pear for the first time ever in “northern ends of the lake” in the national park. 

“This new outbreak seems to have been there since November or December” she said “It may be have been there before hand, but it hadn't been seen”. 

McBride, who is also part of the Lightning Ridge Aboriginal Land Council, said she was concerned about bird life being killed in the national park, as well as emus and goannas. She said there is also some evidence that koalas are moving back to the nearby area. 

Denise O’Brien, who owns a vast property just outside of Lighting Ridge, told the Western Plains App that she has seen Hudson Pear encroach onto new part of her property in the last three to four months. 

“We are really finding it now in areas we haven't seen it before” she told the Western Plains App “There is a real struggle to contain it here. Currently we are using heavy machinery to dig out and remove it, but now we finding that it has come into new areas, and that is probably from the rains and the floods”. 

“What is needed to a coordinated effort, with everyone on the same page to stop this,” she said. 

ABOVE: Aerial view showing spread of the noxious plant. Photo: Lightning Ridge Opal Reserve. 

Lightning Ridge Area Opal Reserve Manager, David Sullivan told the Western Plains App he had been concerned by the spread of Hudson Pear throughout the reserve and other parts of the region, but that his requests for intervention by The Castlereagh Macquarie Council had not resulted in more action. 

“This is the number one issue facing our region. It's now spreading onto national parks and important Aboriginal land. It won't be long before koalas are killed by this” he told the Western Plains App. 

Mr Sullivan told the Western Plains App that Castlereagh Macquarie Council had responsibility for removing the weeds from council land and that it otherwise gave out compliance notices to landowners to remove the plant from their properties. 

He said that there are two problems contributing to the latest spread.

“In many instances landowners do not have the money needed to remove the weed. The chemicals needed to remove it cost around $20,000 or they need to hire heavy machinery that can cost hundreds of thousands in total, and there are no subsidies available for this”. 

Vehicles are just one way Hudson Pear is spread. PHOTO: Gary Grimshaw NSW DPI

Secondly, Mr Sullivan said he was under the impression that in cases where landowners were adequately resourced to deal with the plant that either not enough compliance notices were being handed out or not enough were followed up on. 

“This is fast becoming an ecological and agricultural disaster, not enough is being done”. 

“Everyone needs to do better": Castlereagh Macquarie County Council  

The Walgett Shire Council General Manager Michael Urquhart told the Western Plains App that under the Biosecurity Act landowners and the CMCC both have responsibility to remove Hudson Pear. 

“Everyone needs to start doing a lot better” he said “It is certainly spreading and everyone needs to do more” 

Infestations of Hudson Pear are an increasing concern across the region. PHOTO: Royce Holtkamp NSW DPI

Urquhart said he believed that many landowners had become complacent since the Cochineal bug was released, as it was hoped - even expected this would largely eradicate the plant. 

“I think landowners stopped doing the job (of getting rid of Hudson Pear), but the problem is that the bug doesn't thrive in the wet, humid type climate we have had over the past few years. In any event, it was always going to be a two-prong approach, the bug was never intended to be the full solution”. 

Urquhart said the $2.6 million announced by Minister for Western NSW Dougald Saunders in December would be a significant boost to eradication efforts. He also said that landowners are supplied with the chemical used to kill Hudson Pear by CMCC