Indigenous artists turn invasive buffel grass into exhibition amid fire risk concerns

In Alice Springs, an exhibition launched at Olive Pink Botanic Gardens features artworks created on handmade paper derived from buffel grass, an invasive species that has proliferated after a wet winter. Artist Carita Coultard uses the medium to lament the disappearance of native bush foods she once gathered as a child, naming plants in both English and her language. Buffel grass, introduced in the 1960s for erosion control and cattle feed, was declared a weed in the Northern Territory in 2024 and now threatens biodiversity and fuels wildfires.

Nearby, volunteers are removing the grass along the Todd River to safeguard ancient red gums from fire risk. An economic impact assessment by Charles Darwin University finds the weed’s societal costs are roughly 60 times higher than its benefits to pastoralists, recommending coordinated management. The NT government has sought federal funding while the National Biosecurity Council reviews whether to list buffel grass as a weed of national significance.