How you can help?

Invasive plants present an extremely serious threat to Australia’s natural environment and agricultural regions. It is estimated that weeds cost Australian agricultural production up to $6 billion each year. Unless the spread of invasive plants is slowed down, future generations may be left with the legacy of a degraded Australian landscape, which will have a major impact on Australia’s primary industries, trade and economy.

Given the scale of the problem, it’s not surprising we need to adopt a multifaceted approach. We all need to play a part. The Australian Government and the state and territory governments work collaboratively to implement national eradication programs for weeds in Australia. Farmers too, play a critical role. Many farmers are proactively working to eradicate invasive plants and already have weed management plans in place.

To assist in solving the weed problem, consider the following:

• Use integrated weed management techniques to increase your chance of success and reduce the risk of herbicide resistance and other problems associated with single strategy approaches.
• Thoroughly clean down machinery, vehicles, tools and boots that have been in weed-infested areas.
• Provide a properly constructed wash down area as near as possible to your farm gate.
  Insist that any contract equipment or service vehicles (e.g. electricity, telephone) be cleaned before coming onto and when leaving your property.
• Get a vendor declaration of the weed status of fodder, hay, road base and seed prior to purchase. Similarly, insist upon inspecting the log book of contractors (e.g. harvesters, hay balers, seed drillers) entering your land.
• If you can’t be sure your imported feed is weed free, set aside containment areas where you feed stock.
• Keep access roads, easements and yards weed free.
• Move livestock to frequently used holding areas after they’ve been grazing on weedy paddocks. This will limit the spread of weeds and allow easy control of new seedlings which may emerge from animal waste.
• Hold livestock that may be infested with seed in a single location until they are shorn or until weed seeds have had the chance to pass through their digestive system.
• Develop a Pest management plan for your property.
• Factor weed control into drought planning – talk to your local agronomist.
• Factor weed control issues into prescribed fire plans.
• Keep an eye out for some of the more serious exotic weeds, and any new weed infestations on your land.

It’s common for hobby farms to be located in peri-urban areas, that is, on the fringes of our cities. The physical location of such properties can pose challenges for owners when it comes to managing the spread of invasive plants from gardens to surrounding habitats.

Many people are unaware of the damaging impact invasive garden plants are having on our environment.  The reality is that invasive plants or garden ‘escapees’ present an extremely serious threat to Australia’s natural environment, and agricultural regions. In fact, weeds are estimated to cost our agricultural industry $4 billion annually and to have an unquantifiable but similarly massive impact on our environment.

To assist in solving the weed problem, consider the following when managing your hobby farm:

• Check our weeds profiles database
• Contact your Local Council or state/territory government weed officer for a list of problem weeds in your area. For contact details go to your state/territory weed management agency or local government website.
• Monitor your property – it needs regular checking for weeds even if you don’t live there permanently.
• Follow good neighbour guidelines. For example, plant bushes and trees along boundaries to help prevent seed spreading between properties.
• Be aware that weeds can also exist in farm dams and other water bodies.
• Be aware of the regulations and responsibilities covering the control of weeds on your property and on public land that abuts your property. If you are unsure about the regulations and responsibilities for your area, check your state/territory weed management agency website or contact your local council.
• If you buy in feed, buy from a reputable supplier.
• Develop protocols and procedures to prevent weed seeds entering or leaving your property.
• When appropriate, request that visitors (including service providers) clean their vehicles, machinery and equipment before entering your property; and if necessary request written assurance that vehicles and machinery are clean.
• Set aside containment areas to manage any weed emergence when unsure of the weed status of livestock or feed.
• Hold livestock that may be infested with seed in a single location until they are shorn or until weed seeds have had the chance to pass through their digestive system.
• Clean machinery, vehicles and tools that have been in weed-infested areas. See the Transport Industry tips for further information.
• Keep access roads, easements and yards weed free.

Green waste disposal

Poor disposal, such as dumping garden waste in bushland, is one of the main ways that weeds escape from gardens and start growing in bushland and waterways. Some of the ways that you can help minimise the spread of weeds through responsible disposal of garden waste include:

• Never dump garden waste over the back fence or in bushland.
• Dispose of weeds that are already seeding or readily able to reproduce vegetatively, including through suckers and bulbs, by placing them in a black plastic bag, sealing it and ‘baking it’ in the sun until destroyed. This method alone may not kill all parts of the weed, for example bulbs, and may need to be used in combination with other methods such as mulching. If unsure, contact on expert for advice.
• Cover your compost so that seeds cannot be distributed by wind or animals.
• Be careful when mulching weeds.
• Remove seed heads from plants before they have time to mature and disperse.
• Compost or dispose of garden and green waste in council green waste collections or by carefully transporting it to your council’s green waste tip.
• Always cover trailers when transporting plant material to prevent seeds and other live plant material falling off.
• Consider carefully what plants you buy for ponds and aquariums and never dump aquarium water or contents down drains or into waterways.
• Report any weed infested vacant blocks to the local council.

Check with your local council about what garden waste disposal facilities are available in your area.

Plant selection

Some of the worst weeds found in our native bushlands have escaped from gardens. When invasive plants escape from gardens they can reproduce and aggressively invade natural habitats, crowding out and threatening native plants.

According to the CRC for Australian Weed Management, 65 per cent of the exotic plant species that naturalised in Australia between 1971 and 1995 were introduced as ornamental or garden plants.

Some of the ways that you can help are:

• Get to know the weeds in your local area.  Contact your local council or ask your local garden retailer for a list of common garden escapees.
• Don’t include problem plants in your garden design. Choose safe alternatives, including sterile forms of species that would otherwise set seed. Your local garden retailer may be able to advise you about these.
• Where possible, choose indigenous plants for your garden designs. Indigenous plants are plants that occur naturally in your local area.
• Be careful about buying plants from fetes and markets if you can not verify where the plant originated. Just because it is safe to plant in a nearby district does not mean it is safe to plant in your local area.
• Consider weediness when swapping plants or propagating plants for others.

Sourcing plants from other areas within Australia

Even within Australia you need to be very careful about transporting plants from one area to another or from one state to another. Plants that are perfectly safe in one part of Australia may be an environmental disaster in another. Check the weeds list for problem plants before you consider transporting them to other parts of Australia.

Check with your relevant state or territory government department before transporting plants from one area to another or from one state to another.

For more information about quarantine arrangements when travelling within Australia it is best to consult the local jurisdiction you are travelling to.

Sourcing plants from overseas

Exotic weeds are those that arrive in Australia from overseas and establish in the country. These weeds are of particular concern because of the damaging impacts they have on the country’s primary industries, trade, the economy and the environment. In order to protect Australia from the impact of exotic weeds we need to know what to look out for and what to do when a suspect exotic weed is found.

Imported plants, bulbs and seed including those ordered over the Internet or through mail order must be cleared before coming into the country and some may be banned or require permits. Check your regional biosecurity laws before ordering plant material.

Check your existing plants

Some of the worst weeds found in our native bushlands have escaped from gardens.  Of the almost 3,000 introduced plant species now known to be established in the Australian environment, two thirds are escaped garden plants.

When we talk about weeds in this context some of you might be surprised to find out that we are talking about common garden plants, like Agapanthus or Arum Lilies. Here are some suggestions that can assist you to check your garden for weeds:

• Make your garden a ‘weed free zone’. Check you don’t have any of the plants included in the weed list that may be a problem in your area.
• Contact your local council for a list of common garden escapees in your area and remove them from your garden. Your council may also have a list of safe alternatives or you could ask you local garden retailer for advice.
• Learn to recognise, or have identified at your local garden retailer, any plant you suspect is invasive and remove it from your garden.
• Monitor your garden to ensure that plants are not spreading and posing a threat to nearby bushland or pastures.

Removing weeds

Different weeds have different methods of removal depending on the way they grow and propagate.

Garden maintenance

Even when you have removed weeds, it is important to regularly monitor your garden to ensure weeds do not re-establish.

Some steps you can take to maintain a weed-free garden include:

• Regularly monitor weeded areas.
• Apply dense mulch – it reduces the chances of a weed re-establishing.
• Replant weeded areas with desired plants and provide the appropriate nutrients to encourage active plant growth.
• Buy weed-free soil, mulches and fertilisers, including manure and be prepared to manage any weeds that may come from these sources.
• Be careful using weeds in your mulch as weed seeds can survive the mulching process.  Fine mulching offers the best opportunity of eliminating weeds.
• Ensure that water and fertilisers do not run from your garden into bushland and pasture areas.
• Remove waterweeds from your ponds. Visiting birds can move weeds from your pond into local waterways.

Weeds can be spread hundreds of kilometres if left unchecked. If a vehicle passes through a weed infested area seeds can become lodged in tyre treads and other crevices on the vehicle, only to be dislodged and dispersed in to new areas.

Some states and territories may have legal requirements which apply to the transport industry.  There may also be operating procedures or codes of practice relating to the management of weed spread, such as vehicle wash down.

Steps you should take to reduce the spread of weeds include:

• Be aware of the legal requirements in your state or territory.
• Consult standard operating procedures or codes of practice governing your industry/organisation.
• Be aware of the weed issues relevant to your routes. Check the weeds profiles database.
• Find out about washdown locations in your state/territory.

When cleaning your vehicle

When cleaning your vehicle, follow these steps to reduce the spread of weeds:

• If you have been in a weed-infested area, clean your vehicle in a washdown facility or location where weed seeds cannot escape into waterways or surrounding bushland.
• Inspect the whole vehicle to determine extent of mud, dust and plant material build up, paying particular attention to places where weed seeds can hide, such as behind guards, wheel arches, flares and step treads.
• Don’t forget to check your spare tyre if it has been used recently.
• Check your tool box and any other muddy equipment.
• Inspect the engine bay, especially the radiator and grill.
• Inspect the interior of the vehicle.
• Identify areas that may require cleaning with compressed air rather than water. Do these first.
• Remove necessary guards/belly plates to access areas for cleaning.
• Clean under guards and underneath the vehicle and then do the cabin and upper body.
• Carry out a final inspection to ensure all areas have been cleaned.

The landscape industry is a major source of advice to gardeners. What you do can play a critical role in minimising the spread of invasive plants. Some things to consider include:

• Find out what plants are potential problems in your area and don’t include them in garden designs.
• Replace any potentially invasive garden plants with suitable alternatives.
• Ideally, choose plants that are indigenous to the area of your garden designs.
• Know what plants are listed as noxious in your state or territory.
• Provide accurate plant lists to your clients with correct botanical names as many landscape plants are supplied without labels.
• Dispose of plant material that you remove from a garden site in an appropriate manner. Dumping plants is one of the key ‘escape’ routes.
• Ensure the growing media being used and mulches are free of potential invasive plant seeds and propagules.
• Seek information on potentially invasive plants.

The retail gardening industry is an important partner in minimising the impact of invasive garden plants.  Many consumers seek advice from their garden retailer and the point of sale is an ideal opportunity to influence the plant purchasing decision. Research has indicated that when consumers are aware of potential weediness they are quite willing to accept safer alternatives.

The Nursery and Gardening Industry Australia (NGIA) is working with the Australian Government to develop a ‘Grow me instead ‘ program which focuses on identifying non-invasive alternatives to garden ‘escapees’. The program includes the opportunity for garden retailers to participate in training and accreditation initiatives.

Other industry groups with an emphasis on minimising weeds include Sustainable Gardening Australia and the Bushland Friendly Nursery Scheme .

Some things that garden retailers can do to assist in minimising the impact of weeds include:

• Know what plants are listed as noxious in your state or territory.
• Check with the local council for information on local garden escapees.
• Do not sell plants that are identified as potentially weedy in your area and proactively offer customers low invasive alternatives.
• Keep up-to-date with information on invasive plants. The NGIA can assist.
• If you have all the right checks and advice in place, promote your business as environmentally responsible and promote your plants as ones that will not take over the garden or escape into bushland and farms.
• Read NGIA’s Invasive Plants Policy Position .
• Participate in industry training and accreditation programs.

Unfortunately the majority of weeds are spread by human intervention or activity. When you are enjoying the great outdoors it is important to take a few simple measures to ensure that you do not spread weeds. Remember weeds spread easily.

• Be aware that weed seeds are transported on vehicles, clothing, shoes, and in pet fur and hair.
• Always stick to designated tracks when walking, horse riding, driving, or riding pushbikes or motorbikes through natural areas.
• Check your boat, trailer, motors, caravans and other equipment for weeds. Remove all plant material and seeds and wash down equipment before you travel to your next location.
• Don’t sweep your horse float out in the bush.
• Leave weed seeds and fragments in the weed infested area, burn them in a campfire, or bag and dispose of them responsibly.
• Clean your equipment, boots, vehicles, bikes and trailers when leaving known weed-infested areas. Pay special attention to the undercarriage and tyres of vehicles.
• Clean off-road vehicles by blowing, vacuuming or washing off the dirt and seeds when leaving known weed-infested areas to help prevent the spread of weeds.
• Before travelling off-road, check with the local government or landholder for any travel restrictions due to weed infestations.
• Clean all clothing, shoes and camping gear before leaving a camping site.
• Use only weed-free feed for your horse for eight days before entering country areas, and throughout your trip. Ask your feed supplier for a Weed Hygiene Declaration, if available.
• Remove weed seeds from animals by brushing them thoroughly and cleaning horses’ hooves before and after you travel.
• Learn to identify weeds so you know when you are in an infested area.
• Don’t pick flowers or plants that you can’t identify – they may be weeds.