Richard Deighton, “Coree”, Nymagee, didn’t really notice how bad the weed problem was until he was alerted by his neighbour Darby Warner, “Nimagee Station”.

“It wasn’t until then that I realised how far it was spreading along the watercourse. It’s a terrible bloody weed and the cactus spikes gets stuck in the cattle’s mouth and you have to pull it out,” Mr Deighton said.

The Western Local Land Services survey found neighbours were the main source of information for improvements on a  property – ranging from cropping advice, to spraying and fencing ideas.

Now eight Nymagee neighbours have banded together and secured a grant through Local Land Services to tackle the weed, that is ruining grazing country and threatening animal health. (Rope Pear is like Prickly Pear, native to US, Mexico.) 

Brian Dohnt, Western LLS senior land services officer came out and inspected the problem on “Coree”, and was quick to get on the funding hotline and get the issue sorted.

Aboriginal Centrelink recipients will spend several months from March on the eight properties tackling the weed, spraying from quad bikes.

 Mr Dohnt has also been involved in getting farmers together for cluster fence projects, one at Gilgunnia, which has set the pace for exclusion fences in the Western Division. A new one is being proposed near Wentworth among eight neighbours.

“I see Brian a lot. I can’t fault the LLS, I’ve seen them a few times and I talk to Brian all the time,” Mr Deighton said.

The Western LLS 2017 survey found 92pc of all landholders indicated they had heard of Western LLS prior to receiving the survey which was a significant increase relative to 2014 (84pc).

But Mr Dohnt has admitted to a few flaws in the Service’s coverage in the Western Division.

There are currently two unfilled LLS staff positions at the Buronga office near Mildura. Local farmers say they now  rely on their neighbours for information in the southern area, not the LLS.

Mr Dohnt says the LLS will be organising more field days this year, to increase engagement.

The main form of interaction came through joint projects such as the Nymagee Devil’s Rope project.

There are 52 staff covering the vast area, with half of those people administration staff. Angus Whyte, “Wyndham Station”,  Wentworth, said neighbours were important for farm advice.

“They are extremely important in knowing what to do in local areas.” But the LLS should be filling the role of expert advice.