North Central Catchment Management Authority (North Central CMA) and Goulburn-Murray Water are trialling an innovative approach to weed control in Gunbower Creek using drone-spraying technology to tackle the invasive pale-yellow water lily.
Pale-yellow water lily reduces creek capacity for irrigation and environmental flows, restricts sections of the creek for recreation, and impacts threatened native plant and fish species like the critically endangered silver perch and the threatened golden perch and Murray cod.Â
North Central CMA Project Manager Amy Russell said the drone enables crews to spray weeds that are inaccessible to boats. “The community is behind our goal to reduce the impact pale-yellow water lily has on the creek and prevent it from entering nearby wetlands such as Reedy Lagoon,” she said.
