Lord Howe Island

2023 - 3 - 16

Post cover — Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

Most of Lord Howe Island closed to visitors after outbreak of plant ... (The Guardian)

Permanent park preserve temporarily closed over fears myrtle rust outbreak may compromise endemic plant species.

It is home to 241 native plant species, of which more than 100 are only found on the island. We support what [the island board] are doing [but] we would like also for the board to find a way in which the businesses can also coexist while the board is dealing with this matter. “Due to the escalating risk, closure of the permanent park preserve is being implemented to prevent spread by human activity,” the board said. “We are still open for business except for certain activities,” said Stephen Sia, treasurer of the Lord Howe Island Tourism Association. “Myrtle rust rapidly invaded the entire east coast of Australia and has caused the near extinction of at least three rainforest species. Despite ongoing treatment and preventative fungicide spraying, weekly sweeps had identified three additional infected sites, two of which were around 230m from the boundary of the permanent park preserve, the board said.

Highly Infectious 'myrtle rust' disease forces Lord Howe Island ... (Travel Weekly)

Non essential visitors have been restricted from entering Lord Howe Island due to the increased risk of a disease known as myrtle rust.

There are now at least four sites on the island that have been infected with myrtle rust which has the ability to drastically alter the ecology of the island. “There are about three or four groups already on the island in the middle of all the walks and the shutdown means they can‘t do their walks and all their schedules are disrupted,” treasurer, Lord Howe Tourism Association, Stephen Sia, Located in the Pacific, Lord Howe Island is home to a number of rare and in some cases threatened plants and animals which often leads authorities to take drastic measures to ensure the preservation of the ecosystem.

Lord Howe Island parks close as it fights invasion of myrtle rust spore (9News)

Lord Howe Island is fighting an invasion of the highly-transferable myrtle rust spore, which can wipe out n...

"Myrtle rust is a serious plant disease that affects plants belonging to the Myrtaceae family," Christensen said. "The impact of myrtle rust on the island's terrestrial ecosystems is of great concern," Christensen said. "Myrtle Rust spore is highly transmissible and can be spread on clothing, skin, hair, footwear, and equipment."

Lord Howe Island closed to travellers due to myrtle rust spores (7NEWS.com.au)

The popular destination is known as a hidden paradise that boasts dozens of white sand beaches and coral reefs.

It says the incursion “is about as bad as it can get for biosecurity in Australia”. “Due to the escalating risk of myrtle rust, this closure is being implemented to help limit the spread of highly transferable fungus spores. The majority of world heritage-listed Lord Howe Island, in the Tasman sea about 700km northeast of Sydney, has been temporarily shut down due to the escalating risk of the highly transferable airborne fungus.

Fungus shuts down most of Lord Howe Island (3AW)

About 70 per cent of the island has been closed as authorities scramble to save the ecosystem, which includes 105 species of plant found nowhere else in the ...

“Because of the special plants and animals only found on Lord Howe Island, if we lose a species from there, that’s it. Chief executive of the Invasive Species Council, Andrew Cox, says testing shows rare plants found only on Lord Howe Island are “highly susceptible”. Fungus shuts down most of Lord Howe Island

Lord Howe Island closed over ecological threat (The New Daily)

One of Australia's most exclusive holiday destinations has been declared all but closed to tourists due to the threat of an airborne fungus.

The board said it was designed to help limit the spread of highly transferable fungus spores on the island, which is in the Tasman Sea about 700 kilometres north-east of Sydney. But a lot will have to go right for that to happen.” It’s not the only way that this fungal spore can be spread but it’s certainly something that we can control,” he said. It flourishes in bushland reserves, backyards, commercial operations, nature strips and parklands. “If we lose a species from there, that’s it. Mr Fleming said it had since been found in four locations, all in areas where people live.

Aussie island almost entirely shut down (NEWS.com.au)

The majority of Lord Howe Island has been closed to non-essential visitors due to the increased risk of myrtle rust, a disease-causing fungus.

Myrtle rust, discovered on the island on February 3, has the potential to alter the ecology and affect the world heritage values of the island. The majority of Lord Howe Island has been closed to non-essential visitors due to the increased risk of myrtle rust, a disease-causing fungus. “The rust has the potential to change the way our mountains and forest looks, it may alter food webs and ecology, and potentially affect world heritage values,” a board statement to residents said.