Environmental representatives are gathering at the Mary Cairncross Reserve Wednesday March 23 to participate in a forum discussing Morning Glory, a weed which is currently the Blackall Range's greatest challenge in environmental management. For those that don't know it, the weed's looks are deceptive.

It is attractive, decorated with lush purple flowers. But this pest can grow as much as one metre in 24 hours and is rapidly taking over the Hinterland and restricting the growth in our forests and parks. It scales trees and other plants starving them of sunlight with its own canopy, subsequently preventing them from photosynthesis and causing their death. Worse still, it's an aquatic plant too and is capable of monopolising the Obi Obi Creek which could eventually see water supplies across parts of the Sunshine Coast suffer.

"The Blackall Range is facing an unprecedented challenge in preventing Morning Glory from causing catastrophic damage that will cause untold loss not only for the environment but the economy of the Range," said naturalist Jeanette Nobes. "The Blackall Range in recent years has built its economy on tourism, but currently there is a poor appreciation of the effect that this weed will have on the landscape, both natural and built, within five years."

She said the Range would loose its beautiful array of wild plants and flowers and become a monoculture of Morning Glory, with less appeal to tourists. The forum, hosted by Booroobin Bushcare, will be well-attended. It features staff from DNR, DMR, QPWS, Caloundra City Council, Maroochy Shire Council, Energex, DPI, Herbarium, Barung Landcare and Water Catchment Groups, WWF, Allan Fletcher Research Station and Federal and local politicians.

Jeanette, who is coordinating the meeting and runs Booroobin Bushcare, will be taking the representatives on a site tour of some of the worst areas before returning to the Reserve's auditorium for a presentation on Morning Glory between 11am - 1pm, which the public are encouraged to attend. Jeanette is also very keen for local slashing firms to attend the forum, because their actions are in part causing the weed's rapid advancement.

"The main reason for the weed's recent spreading is slashing," said Jeanette. "People have to understand that this plant can regrow from just a small piece of its tissue which are being transported across the region in agricultural machinery."

Morning Glory at this stage has not been "declared" for a variety of reasons which include it not being assessed as causing any health problems to livestock or humans. This is a decision which Jeanette thinks is a recipe for disaster. "We can no longer ignore this serious problem and allow the impasse of 'it's not declared therefore we don't have to do anything'.

"A standard approach needs to be developed that can be used by all our stakeholders who have a responsibility in preventing this problem from spreading," she said. "The forum will be the beginning of a dialogue to achieve positive directions."

Jeanette, who has a Diploma of Conservation in Land Management, has worked in the field eradicating the weed for the past three years with great success. She's done an audit of Morning Glory locals on the Range, which will be presented at the forum.

And Jeanette showed TRN some alarming findings, which show regions where the weed dominates 50 major sites at the southern end of the Range alone.

Jeanette Nobes at a Morning Glory site just off Maple Street.