Background to the VGT

The Victorian Gorse Taskforce, was formed in 1999 as the Ballarat Region Gorse Task Force, and has now evolved to become known as the Victorian Gorse Taskforce (VGT). The group was the result of a concerned community and driven by local Landcare groups and municipalities. There were some general perceptions amongst concerned community members that:

• There was a lack of acceptance by landholders of the responsibilities for control of gorse;
• There was a perception that gorse is a government problem;
• Agencies were not being proactive in weed control and only responding to complaints;
• There was a reluctance to prosecute those who refuse to comply with weed control directives;
• There was a lack of concern from public land managers

The primary role of the VGT is to oversee the coordination and implementation of the Gorse Control Strategy.

The VGT has traditionally focused its efforts across 3 Catchment Management Authority (CMA) regions – Corangamite, Glenelg Hopkins and North Central. Now, with the group evolving to a more statewide focus it is anticipated that many more regions across the state will become familiar with the VGT.