Tilba area fireweed activist Robert Dunn believes if old-time farmer Merrick Willcocks can keep his property clear of the dreaded weed, so can anyone.
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Mr Dunn, president of the Tilba and South Narooma Landcare Group, said Mr Willcocks was a shining example of what can be accomplished while the nation waits for an effective biological control.
“We need to motivate people with success stories and here we have one of the oldest farming residents able to keep his property pristine by sheer determination over more than 10 years,” Mr Dunn said.
Mr Willcocks is the descendent of William Willcocks, one of the first white settlers in the region who acquired the Punkalla property on the first day of selection back around 1855.
Over the years, the family property has been subdivided among various family members, but he still runs a 16-hectare beef property off Wagonga Scenic Drive, south of Narooma.
He said he first noticed fireweed around Narooma about 20 years ago and has been picking it ever since, spending five to eight hours each week picking the noxious and toxic weed.
“If an 84 year old can do it spending five to eight hours a week, then a young person could do it in half that time,” Mr Willcocks said.
Mr Dunn meanwhile continues to organise picking days for the local Green Army brigade and hopes to do more around Tilba and south of Narooma in upcoming weeks.