Armidale Urban Rivercare Group (AURG) have received $25,000 in funding through the NSW State Government's Community Building Partnerships Program.

The funds will go towards the purchase of a steam weeding machine to be used for planting preparations and maintenance in the Armidale creeklands and bushlands.

"Currently, Landcare, Rivercare, and Bushcare groups and the Armidale Tree Group (ATG) around Armidale use chemicals to eliminate invasive weeds, annual weeds and environmental weeds from areas they wish to restore or rehabilitate," said Bruce Whan, a spokesperson for AURG and the successful grant writer.

"Most of this activity takes place on public land, and frequently this activity takes place in areas of high public use," he said.

"Increasingly, members of the public are asking us to avoid the use of chemicals in public places.

"While we will not be able to completely avoid the use of chemicals, the Steam Weeder will enable us to avoid the repeat use of chemicals for routine weeding," said Bruce.

More news to come when the weeder arrives during 2019.

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