The Tasmanian Greens today called for greater efforts by the poppy industry and regulatory authorities to control feral poppies on Tasmanian roadsides.
Greens Member for Lyons, Tim Morris MP, said that he recently discovered a crop of wild poppies on the roadside near Hobart stretching for over 1 kilometre and containing well over 100 plants, with many of the plants about to reseed.
“There are two obvious problems from poppies that establish themselves outside the strictly controlled paddocks where they are planted; the first is the risk of them becoming established as a feral weed species and the second is that they may poison people who foolishly seek to consume them for their drug properties,” Mr Morris said.
“The poppy industry and the regulators have a responsibility to keep poppies under control and to make significant efforts to identify and remove any wildings or there is a risk that this plant will become established as a feral weed in the environment.”
“Poppies are poisonous, and it is the responsibility of the industry and regulators to minimise opportunities for members of the public to access them.”
“With so many people passing this poppy infestation on a daily basis I am surprised that no one has reported it to the authorities before today because a close inspection suggests that they have been growing for at least couple of months, with some already showing fully developed seed heads.”
“The Tasmanian environment and people must be protected from this poisonous weed.”
“An industry that is making millions of dollars from growing poppies will be put at risk if the security system continues to fail,” Mr Morris said.
Tim Morris MP
Member for Lyons
