Weed control

Sources of information

The primary source of information about weeds in Northern New South Wales is the North Coast Weeds Advisory Committee which has an excellent website (http://www.northcoastweeds.org.au/) and an informative, illustrated weed identification brochure called Noxious Weeds Guide for the North and Mid North Coast, available from Byron Shire Council. The committee publishes a quarterly newsletter which is available by subscription, or online.

Weed control is regulated by the Noxious Weeds Act 1993, which imposes certain obligations on landholders and occupiers, with penalties for those who breach the Act. Occupiers may also be responsible for the control of noxious weeds in a river or other watercourse adjoining their property, or on an adjoining unfenced road.

Local councils implement the Act as the Local Weed Control Authority, and provide professional advice on weed control.

Noxious weeds are defined as those which have a detrimental effect or cause serious economic loss to agriculture or to the environment.

Environmental weeds

These are weeds that impact on the natural environment but are not declared as noxious. They may be spread by birds, water, wind, or more commonly by humans.

When they invade natural environments they can outcompete native plants, reducing habitat and food resources for native animals. They may also impact on human health, access, recreation and infrastructure.

There are no legal requirements to remove environmental weeds from your land unless they are declared noxious weeds.

Control without chemicals

There's an interesting series of articles on weed control without chemicals on the Byron Environment Centre's website by Geoff Dawe who leads the bush regeneration project in the Cumbebin Wetlands in Byron Bay. To read Geoff's articles, click here.

Videos show how to deal with invasive species
Pittwater Eco Warriors have produced a series of excellent and highly professional resource videos on dealing with invasive species, which can be viewed on Youtube.

Cassia

Cassia (Senna pendula) is a yellow-flowered, weedy shrub invading Australian bushland. Bean pods must be carefully controlled. This film shows how to control it and also the cut stump method of removal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJm7kA7YLkc

Asparagus Fern

Also known as Ground Asparagus, Asparagus densiflorus and Protoasparagus densiflorus. Originating in South Africa, Asparagus Fern is a multi-branched prostrate perennial shrub or scrambler forming a dense mat of tuberous roots. Branches grow to 60cm with a covering of small spines. Flowers are bell-shaped, white-pale pink clusters, flowering in late summer. Fruit are red berries to 8mm wide containing 1 to a few black seeds about 4mm in diameter, occurring winter/early spring.

Seeds are spread by birds, water and dumping. Asparagus Fern can also reshoot from rhizome pieces left in the ground or dumped as garden waste.

This invasive weed poses a significant threat to the bushland environment and may cause distress to neighbouring properties both through the plant stems spreading over boundary lines and birds depositing seeds in their droppings. These seeds germinate readily and will start new infestations. As this weed is likely to continually grow and spread, total removal is recommended.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=105jsIIbk4I&feature=related

Moth Vine

Moth Vine (Araujiia hortorum) is an invasive weed destroying Australian bush.Originating in Peru, Moth Vine is a climber with twining stems, containing milky white sap, up to 5m high. Invades hind-dunes, rainforest and bushland. Elongated heart-shaped leaves, grey-green in pairs along the stem. Creamy-white to pale pink to about 1cm diameter, flowering in clusters in spring and summer. Large choko-like fruit, which splits to release masses of fly-away dandelion like feathery seeds. Dispersal: Air borne. The seed fibrous material is often used as nesting material by birds. Impact on Bushland: A vigorous climber of unrestricted height, it seeds prolifically and smothers other plants it is growing on. It germinates easily in undisturbed areas. This video shows how to get rid of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5ncXvKSeFc&NR=1

Madeira Vine

Madeira Vine (Anredera cordifolia), also known as Potato Vine or Lambs Tails. It is a native of South America. Anredera was imported because of its attractive white flowers and strong growth habit. The plant has spread along waterways and through forests and is considered a major threat to rainforest remnants. This destructive, prolific and persistent vine reduces the host trees to vine shrouded pole structures. Because of its thick, fleshy leaves and bunches of tubers, it is the heaviest of the problem vines and can smash the branches of trees by its sheer weight. The stem can grow one metre per week. This film shows how to properly deal with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L7GBMF2NU4