Nomination of weeds for threat assessment

We need your help to determine which weeds are, or could, threaten social, environmental and agricultural values.

An open nomination process is seeking input on potential high threat weeds from stakeholders. An assessment of the threat of these weeds will be undertaken to inform the development of the National Weed Biocontrol Priority List.

Weeds impacting First Nations people and their culture will be identified separately through a review of Healthy Country Plans and targeted engagement with First Nations organisations.

A preliminary list of weeds has been developed using existing weed lists and can be accessed here. You do not need to submit a nomination for a weed that has already been identified on this list.

We are seeking nominations for weeds with a significant impact (now or into the future) on social, environmental and agricultural values.

If you are concerned about a weed and its impact, please submit a weed nomination. To nominate a weed for assessment:

• read all the information provided under ‘Which weeds are eligible?’
• click through to the nomination form and complete.

This process will take approximately 5-10 minutes.

Submit the nomination form by 28th June 2024.

You will be asked to provide evidence to support your nomination when filling out the nomination form. You’ll find more information about the evidence required on the form. If you need assistance with finding evidence or completing the nomination form, please reach out to weedpriorities@wildmatters.com.au

Eligible species include:

• plants that are introduced to Australia (not native)
• weeds that are established^* in at least one State/Territory in Australia such that they are beyond the point of eradication
• weeds that have at least 3 reputable information sources relevant to the Australian context, that provide sufficient detail on the weed’s distribution, impact and invasiveness.

*In this context, ‘established’ describes a weed with self-sustaining populations and a national distribution that may be either new and emerging or widespread in nature. In either instance, these weeds are not considered feasible to eradicate at the national level.

Examples of eligible weeds (note: jurisdiction refers to States and Territories):

• Weeds that occur in multiple jurisdictions and eradication is considered unfeasible in all jurisdictions.
• Weeds that occur in multiple jurisdictions, where the weed may be targeted for eradication in one jurisdiction, but eradication is considered unfeasible in another jurisdiction. For example, parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus) is an eradication target in NSW, but widespread in parts of Queensland. In this example, parthenium weed would be eligible for assessment as it would be reasonable to seek biocontrol solutions for a weed that is beyond national eradication.

Examples of ineligible weeds:

• Weeds subject to a formal national eradication program are not eligible for assessment. These are Limnocharis flava, Mikania micrantha, Miconia calvescens, M. nervosa, M. racemosa and Striga asiatica.
• Weeds that only occur in one jurisdiction and are eradication targets in that jurisdiction. These weeds are viewed as national eradication targets and are not eligible for assessment.
• Weeds that occur in multiple jurisdictions and are eradication targets in all these jurisdictions are not eligible for assessment. For example, mouse-ear hawkweed (Pilosella officinarum) is an eradication target in the two states in which it occurs: Victoria and NSW.

When deciding whether a weed should be nominated, please consider the weed’s economic, environmental and social impacts (current or potential). Note that only weeds with a significant level of impact (determined by assessment) will be included on the National Weed Biocontrol Priority List.

Check here for eligible weeds that are already being assessed.

How weeds will be assessed.

Weeds for consideration will be sourced from:

• State and Territory lists of high threat weeds
• Weeds identified in Healthy Country Plans as having impacts on First Nations people and their culture^*
• An open nomination process.

Weeds from all sources will be assessed for weed threat and biocontrol prospects.

* Weeds impacting First Nations people’s culture will be identified through a review of Healthy Country Plans and targeted engagement with First Nations organisations.

Who will assess weed threat?

An independent panel of Weed Risk Assessment experts will undertake assessments, based on available information and evidence. Advice from technical experts may also be sought. Where scoring confidence is low or data deficiencies exist, further scrutiny will be applied to ensure a robust assessment result is obtained. Note that the assessment panel will not know who has nominated the weed.

Who will assess biocontrol prospects?

The biocontrol prospects (feasibility x likelihood of success) will be assessed for the eligible weeds by weed biocontrol research practitioners. Biocontrol prospects will then be combined with the weed threat status to derive a subset of most promising and high value weed candidates for potential future biocontrol RD&E investment.