Weed management update - Fingal Valley region
Last month (February) targeted weed management activities were completed across several legacy mine sites in the Fingal Valley Region, Northeast Tasmania.
These weed management actives follow on from recent weed mapping conducted by Mineral Resources Tasmania (MRT) in November 2025 at the Merrywood, Aberfoyle and Storys Creek legacy mine sites. The work was funded through the Abandoned Mines Rehabilitation Trust Fund (RTF) in consultation with land management authorities Parks and Wildlife Property Services (PWS) and Sustainable Timbers Tasmania (STT).
Mapping identified a small population of Gorse (Ulex europaeus) at the former Merrywood Coal mine site.
Individuals of Gorse (Ulex europeaeus) at historic Merrywood mine site as mapped via NVA (left) and observed (right), November 2025.
Gorse is a declared species in Tasmania under the Tasmanian Biosecurity Act 2019 and is subject to a statutory management plan identifying containment as the classified management objective within Zone B municipalities. In addition, an outlier population of Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) was also identified on the course tailings dump at the Aberfoyle site, Rossarden (below). Due to the declared status of both species, the limited size of the infestations, and the efficiencies gained by coordinating works across nearby sites, targeted weed control was completed at both these sites as part of an existing program scheduled for February 2026.
Outlier population of Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) on Aberfoyle tailings dump as mapped in November 2025 (left) and recently treated (right).
The scheduled program was a follow-up activity targeting Ragwort at Storys Creek, originally initiated in response to a public notification made in November 2024. Ragwort is also declared weed, with a statutory management plan requiring “eradication” in Zone A municipalities, incorporating the Storys Creek area. Successive mapping and control actions have now been completed at this site in 2025 and 2026 (below).
Target area of successive Ragwort control efforts at Storys Creek undertaken in 2025 and 2026.
MRT continues to report all weed observations through the Tasmanian Government’s Natural Values Atlas (NVA) and liaises with management authorities through the RTF Committee. These sites will remain a priority for ongoing surveillance, and care and maintenance activities, subject to available resources and project prioritisation under the RTF.
General updates on RTF projects are provided via MRT’s monthly newsletters, with an Annual Report scheduled for release in July 2026.
Further information about the Abandoned Mines Rehabilitation Trust can be sourced via the MRT website (https://www.mrt.tas.gov.au) or by contacting MRT direct via info@mrt.tas.gov.au