In what is hoped to develop into a broader program of work along the Shaw River, this initial project was approved for funding by the Minister for Environment and started in April 2023.
This was the first project to be developed using the bespoke PEOF engagement plan, which supports a collaborative approach between regional land managers, government and Traditional Owners.
The Pilbara Mesquite Management Committee (PMMC) will receive about $1 million in funding over five years to progress eradication of Parkinsonia aculeata along the Shaw River riparian zone on Hillside Station. The project aims to improve an estimated 12,000 ha of riparian vegetation as well as prevent the spread of the weed further downstream.
Both riparian vegetation and ‘good to excellent’ vegetation is required to be offset through the PEOF as a requirement under Part IV of the Environmental Protection Act 1986, through implementation conditions in Ministerial Statements.
The PMMC, through Pilbara Ecological, completed the first year of the project in 2023, during which 3,777 adult and juvenile Parkinsonia individuals were treated.
Building on this, the 2025 Parkinsonia management program treated 2,192 plants (primarily mature) alongside approximately 5,000 seedlings across targeted locations. Monitoring confirmed high herbicide performance, with 97 per cent efficacy recorded in 2025 and an overall efficacy of approximately 92 per cent across two years, demonstrating the program’s effectiveness and supporting continued progress toward long-term control.
Read more about the Pilbara Environmental Offsets Fund and other projects being delivered through the fund.
