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The Pines Campground at Araps - What's happening! 24-Nov-2014 At 4:31:37 PM Superstu

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On 20/11/2014 patto wrote:
>On 20/11/2014 kieranl wrote:
>>They are weeds. Pure and simple. That's your answer.
>
>How are they weeds now? They seem to have been perfectly fine and suitable
>at the pines for 50 years. They weren't a weed when there were planted.
> They haven't been a weed to the hundreds of thousands of climbers who
>have camped under them.
>
>When did they become a weed all of a sudden?
>
>A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation. (which
>is the common definition and that of wikipedia)

Here we are talking about radiata pine as an environmental weed, one that can disperse seedlings into the surrounding bush, and once established can outcompete native plants, reducing habitat for native animals and reducing biodiversity. Arapiles is unique not just because of the groovy climbing, but its an island of significant native bushland too.

From the Weeds of Australia database:
Impacts
Radiata pine (Pinus radiata) is regarded as a significant environmental weed in Victoria and South Australia, and as an environmental weed in New South Wales, the ACT, Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia. It is actively managed by community groups in South Australia, Victoria and the ACT, and in listed as a priority environmental weed in three Natural Resource Management regions.
It is considered a pest plant that must be controlled in one state so far.

There are plenty of plantations of Pinus radiata in the district but I see no need to go and plant some inside the park when there are perfectly suitable native species available. Casuarinas for example make fantastic camp sites, providing shade, soft needles on the ground, and make a lovely sound in the wind. They tend to like watercourses so the leaking tank, dumped washing up water and midnight ablutions should keep them going.