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Cannington partnership a win for local biodiversity

22 MAY 2022

Cannington partnership preventing invasive weeds on local grazing land

Our Cannington operation in Australia is partnering with Southern Gulf Natural Resource Management (NRM) to prevent invasive weeds from impacting grazing land in North West Queensland. 

Weed infestations pose a significant challenge in the region, impacting cattle operations, as well as the natural environment by displacing native vegetation and creating refuges for feral animals to reside. 

Together with Southern Gulf NRM, a not-for-profit community-based organisation which specialises in strategic planning and investment activities that care for natural and cultural assets, Cannington is delivering a weed management program in two of the local shires. 

As part of the agreement, Cannington will provide A$30,000 to Southern Gulf NRM to work with local landholders to purchase weed controlling herbicide that will help to keep these invasive weeds off the land and enable local pastoral land to thrive. 

South32 Cannington Vice President Operations Joe Russell said, “We are proud to be able to deliver this program to allow property owners in the McKinlay and Cloncurry Shires to improve pasture growth and mustering capability. 

“The result of this program will see the prevention of the spread of weeds and their impact on new areas, conservation of biodiversity in the Mitchell Grass Downs and Gulf Plains bioregions, and protection of critical vegetation and valuable pasture.” 

Cannington has supported weed management initiatives since 2011 which has helped to keep prickly acacia, mesquite, parkinsonia and other invasive weeds out of the region. 

You can read more about our approach to land management and biodiversity in our  Sustainable Development Report.