For the past three weeks, Wellington Council weeds co-ordinator Andrew Cosier has been leading a team of students from Access Group Training, showing them the ropes when it comes to eradicating the environmental weed.

“We cut the plant at the base with a handsaw and then once it’s cut Roundup is put directly on the remaining stem,” Mr Cosier said.

“As long as it’s done within 30 seconds it will kill the stem.

“This is the safest way to treat the olive and not cause damage to surrounding plants.”

The project was one identified by council as a priority due to the fact that it was a prime tourist area, and if the African Olive had been left to grow it would have eventually crowded out native vegetation.

“All up we have cut the wild olive out of about six hectares of the complex,” Mr Cosier said.

“This is one plant we have no idea how or why it got here … it grows from multiple stems and I’ve also found that it can grow in very little dirt.

“The big thing now is to get the introduced plants before they become a big expense - it’s definitely cheaper to do it now than years down the track.”

RiverSmart contributed $15,000 towards the project, which is just one in a number of projects they are undertaking along the Macquarie River.

Project officer Shona Whitfield said she was pleased with the final outcome of the work completed at the caves.

“It’s really good, the caves have been trying to get this work done for ages and it’s proven to be a good partnership,” she said.

“Hopefully the caves will need follow-up work in the future and we will be able to find some sort of way of funding or way of helping to find funds.”

In the meantime, Ms Whitfield is encouraging groups who have a project they would like to see get off the ground to apply for funding.

“It doesn’t have to be on the river,” she said.

“We’re encouraging smaller groups from places like creeks that run into the river to apply. It’s not just about revitalizing the river but also communities that are part of the river.”