Vehicle washdown sites

Health Environmental Services Regional Organisation of Councils North Queensland (HESROC) and BDT NRM are currently working towards a fee-for-service regional network of washdown facilities to compliment a weed hygiene inspection service. This includes applying for funding assistance to construct washdown facilities and gaining the necessary training to provide approved weed hygiene inspectors. In the longer term, this will have Council's well placed to provide important weed hygiene declaration certificates.

The current network of washdown facilities is totally inadequate for the nature and quantity of potentially contaminated vehicles and machinery in the region. The project adopts well established Principles of Pest Management described in all national, state, regional and local pest plans and/or strategies. Additionally, the project will help to achieve the legislative requirements and objectives of the Land Protection ( Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002.

The facilities will be a fee-for-service arrangement where the cost of using the facility will cover the ongoing maintenance and repair costs. Patronage for the washdown facility is expected to come from all variety of industries found in north Queensland which are serviced by the major regional centre of Townsville for example; agriculture and grazing, mining, utility providers, tourism and government agencies. In-kind assistance from the BDT NRM will include a significant amount of signage/advertising for the facilities as well as monitoring over time how many vehicles and machinery utilise the facility.

“Prevention is better than a cure”. The desired outcome of the project is to prevent fertile weed material from being transported across the region. This will reduce the number of weed infestations in the short term, thereby increasing the ability to carry out successful pest eradication programs in the longer term.

Project update:

This project is not yet operational.

Key references

Queensland guideline for the construction of vehicle and machinery washdown facilities

Queensland checklist for cleandown procedures

Queensland checklist for inspection procedures