Landcare Agony Aunt: some seasonal advice for your Landcaring questions
Dear Agony Aunt,
There are so many weeds! How do I know which ones I should prioritize? Where can I find quality information about these weeds for their identification and treatment?
Yours, Bamboozled in Baerami
Dear Reader,
This is a common feeling amongst Landcarers. There are many weeds in the Hunter, and it can be overwhelming trying to work out which ones to prioritize. Don’t despair! I’ve got some helpful tips, tricks, websites and definitions to help you get your answers – fast!
First make a list of your weeds, then read on to find out which categories they are in.
Weed priority categories
The Hunter Strategic Weed Management Plan 2023 – 2027 (HSWMP) puts weeds into a hierarcy: ‘Weeds that create the highest level of risk and have the feasibility of being controlled are called priority weeds.’ (Risks could include risks to agriculture, natural or recreational environments, animal and human health).
These priority weeds are further classified as:
- State Priority Weeds (State priority weeds have been assessed by NSW Department of Primary Industries as posing a high to medium biosecurity risk to the entire state of NSW) and
- Regional Priority Weeds (Regional priority weeds have been assessed by regional weed committees as posing a high risk to specific regions of NSW).
Weed control categories
Weeds are also put into control management categories which can help us make decisions about what to focus on first. The hyperlinks to weeds listed below will take you to NSW Weed Wise, a Department of Primary Industries website that contains information on over 300 weed profiles describing their profile, control and biosecurity duty. Handy!
Here are the regional priority weed control management categories from HSWMP:
1) 🧤🧤🧤🧤Prevention: The following weeds are currently not found in the region, pose significant biosecurity risk and prevention of the biosecurity risk posed by these weeds is a reasonably practical objective.
We want to keep these out of the Hunter. Regularly scan your site and notify your local control authority if found.
Some Hunter region priority examples include: Serrated tussock, Kudzu, Sicilian sea lavender.
2) 🧤🧤🧤 Eradication: The following weeds are present in limited distribution and abundance in some parts of the region. Elimination of the biosecurity risk posed by these weeds is a reasonably practical objective.
These weeds are in some parts of the Hunter and we don’t want them to spread. Again, check your site regularly and notify your local control authority if found.
Some Hunter region priority examples include: Chilean needle grass, Cabomba, Groundsel bush , Tropical soda apple (Control order: orders may include removal or containment measures, restrictions on the movement or sale of the weed and reporting requirements).
3) 🧤🧤Containment: These weeds are widely distributed in the region. While broad scale elimination is not practicable, minimisation of the biosecurity risk posed by these weeds is reasonably practicable.
Stop these weeds from spreading. Some Hunter region priority examples include: African boxthorn, African olive, Bitou Bush.
4) 🧤Asset Protection: These weeds are widely distributed in some areas of the region. Their spread should be minimised to protect priority assets.
Stop these spreading, tackling those near assets first. Assets could be valued habitat, waterways, tracks, grazing, crops, buildings, etc. Some Hunter region priority examples include: Blackberry, Lantana, Green cestrum.
A summary comparing these definitions can be seen in this simple table and graph.
A table of all Hunter Priority Weeds (with hyperlinks) with their regional management priority is listed here.
Landowners, councils, and other relevant parties are required to comply with their General Biosecurity Duty (GBD). All of us tackling weeds should be guided by the key legislation directing weed management, which is the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015.
Now you know your weed categories, it’s time to make a list of priority jobs for your site. Remember, we’re in this together and Landcarers are making a valuable difference to keeping a lid on the Hunter’s weeds!
From Agony Aunt
P.S. A Handy Definition:
General Biosecurity Duty (GBD) as stated by the HSWMP. Any person who deals with a plant that poses a risk of causing an adverse effect on the economy, the environment or the community and who knows, or ought to know about the risk the plant poses, has a legally enforceable duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk of that impact occurring.