Nature Conservation lauds 2024 Arum Lily Blitz a major success

Nature Conservation Margaret River Region has hailed its fifth annual Arum Lily Blitz a major success despite acknowledging the war isn’t over against the pervasive weed species.

The group’s 2024 effort wrapped this week with organisers hailing the growing investment of major stakeholders in making inroads against the South African invasive pest species.

Groups including the Friends of the Cape to Cape Track, the Shire of Augusta Margaret River, City of Busselton, Margaret River-Busselton Tourism Association and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions were among those lauded by blitz co-ordinator Genevieve Hanran-Smith.

Ms Hanran-Smith said since 2019, the blitz had worked more than 26,000ha and seen more than 5500 hours of volunteer arum lily control undertaken by private landowners.

A recent funding injection from the State Government had hopes buoyed about the future of the campaign.

“We aim to further extend the control effort, engaging and supporting new landholders, reducing seed sources and prioritising the protection of good quality native vegetation,” Ms Hanran-Smith said.

“The very high level of community action reassures us that the Arum Lily Blitz is a vision shared by most of our community.

“Doing nothing and allowing arum lily to continue to spread, dominating our landscape and degrading native vegetation, is not an option most of us can tolerate.

“Eradication isn’t possible, but shared management by many thousands of landholders and volunteers will enable us to significantly reduce the extent and impact of arum lilies in our beautiful region.”

The co-ordinator said the vision had to be maintained through a “concerted and sustained effort”.

Speaking after the weekend’s end-of-year function to celebrate volunteers at Fair Harvest Permaculture, Nature Conservation general manager Drew McKenzie said the blitz was now a model for community weed control programs undertaken by local governments north of the region.