Government weeds lists' and strategies

The Australian Weeds Strategy (2017-2027) provides a national framework for addressing weed issues whilst maintaining the profitability and sustainability of Australia’s primary industries and the reducing the impact of weeds on the environment.

This strategy is overseen by the inter-jurisdictional Environment and Invasives Committee and its weeds working group.

A number of jurisdictions also have specific Biosecurity or Invasive Species strategies:

1. ACT Biosecurity Strategy (2016-2026)
2. NSW Invasive Species Plan (2018-2021)
3. NT Biosecurity Strategy (2016-2016)
4. QLD Invasive Plants and Animal Strategy (2019-2024)
5. WA Biosecurity Strategy

Thirty two Weeds of National Significance (WoNS) have been identified by Australian governments based on their invasiveness, potential for spread and environmental, social and economic impacts.

A list of 20 WoNS was endorsed in 1999 and a further 12 were added in 2012.

Note that some of  the 32 WoNS are grouped together together as one (e.g. Asparagus weeds, Brooms, Opuntioid cacti, and Bitou bush / Boneseed).

1. African boxthorn
2. asparagus weeds
3. alligator weed
4. athel pine
5. bellyach bush
6. bitou bush/boneseed
7. blackberry
8. bridal creeper
9. brooms
10. cabomba
11. cat’s claw creeper
12. Chilean needle grass
13. fireweed
14. gamba grass
15. gorse
16. hymenachne
17. lantana
18. Madeira vine
19. mesquite
20. mimosa
21. opuntioid cacti
22. parkinsonia
23. parthenium weed
24. pond apple
25. prickly acacia
26. rubber vine
27. sagittaria
28. salvinia
29. serrated tussock
30. silverleaf nightshade
31. water hyacinth
32. willows

Many of these WONS have their own management manuals and guides. More detailed information about these WONS and their Manuals can be found via our Weeds Profile section.

The Environment and Invasives Committee’s Weeds Working Group commissioned a report in 2020 to analyse the WoNS initiative and draft a framework to underpin the future of national established weed management.

The report ‘National Established Weed Priorities – Towards a National Framework’ proposes a draft framework for the nationally coordinated management of established weeds (the draft framework) at section 2.

The draft framework retains the essence of the original WoNS initiative (through the WoNS component), but also moves beyond the single species approach to encompass other national established weed priorities including Weed Issues of National Significance (WINS) and a National Established Weeds Action List (NEWAL). This broadens the scope of the original initiative, addressing landscape-scale management issues for established weeds (WINS), and offering continued management of discrete national priority actions where required (NEWAL).

The Weeds Working group sought feedback on the draft framework through workshops in March 2021, with additional workshops planned for July 2021. Workshop feedback will be collated to further refine the draft framework.

For more information on the workshops or framework contact pestanimal&weeds@agriculture.gov.au.

A final draft of the framework will be made available on this website for public comment, before being provided to the Environment and Invasives Committee for endorsement and implementation.

Successful biological control is one of the most effective ways to control weeds across the landscape in the long term. Over many years governments have worked together to determine weeds which are suitable for biological control, this currently being through the Environment and Invasives Committee. It is important to determine whether there is any significant use of a weed (as a cultivated or wild plant) that would likely preclude biological control being used against it, before investing in a lengthy and comprehensive research in biological control agents.

The introduction of a potential biological control agent is separately assessed under the Biosecurity Act 2015 and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The assessment involves comprehensive host testing (testing what plants the biological control agent will attack) before release.

Endorsed species

The table below lists the weed species endorsed for biological control by intergovernmental committees, including two cases where formal approval as a target weed for biological control was obtained under the Biological Control Act 1984. A link to the current Environment and Invasives Committee procedure for determining candidate weed species and/or control agents for biological control is at the bottom of this page.

There are additional weeds for which biological control programs occurred, which pre-existed the approval processes that have occurred since 1983. This list is included below.

The first biological control approved listing was implemented by the Australian Weeds Committee. The current 2019 Environment and Invasives Committee procedure can be downloaded in PDF format – EIC PROCEDURE FOR ENDORSING CANDIDATE WEEDS FOR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

There are lists that identify what plant species are permitted entry into Australia. This list can found via this Australian Government website.

The Chief Environmental Biosecurity Officer has finalised a list of priority exotic environmental pests, weeds and diseases.

The Priority List focuses on exotic pests, weeds and diseases that are not established in Australia and that pose the highest risk to our environment and public spaces. This list will be used to enable activities that help prevent the entry, establishment and spread of exotic pests and diseases.

You can find the list here

The National Environmental Alert List (the Alert List) for environmental weeds was developed in 2001. It identified 28 weed species that were in the early stages of establishment and had the potential to become a significant threat to biodiversity if they were not managed:

Species were identified for the Alert List based on three criteria:

• posing a high or serious potential threat to the environment
• having limited distribution within Australia at present
• being amenable to successful eradication or containment programs.

Whilst this list is no longer in formal use by governments, the species still represent serious weed risks and control activities continue to be undertaken for certain species in some parts of Australia. Refer to the Weed Profiles for specific species information.

Sleeper weeds is a term used for plants that appear benign for many years, but which may suddenly spread rapidly following certain natural events such as flood, fire, drought, climate change, or change in land or water management. Sleeper weeds are not always recognised as a significant problem, even though the potential threat they pose to industry, people or the environment may be extreme.

In 2006 the Bureau of Rural Science (now Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences) identified 17 potential agricultural sleeper weeds as priorities for eradication. These were:

• Aeschynomene paniculata
• Asystasia gangetica ssp micrantha
• Baccharis pingraea
• Brillantaisia lamium
• Centaurea eriophora
• Crupina vulgaris
• Cuscuta suaveolens
• Eleocharis parodii
• Froelichia floridana
• Gmelina elliptica
• Hieracium aurantiacum
• Hypericum tetrapterum
• Nassella charruana
• Oenanthe pimpinelloides
• Onopordum tauricum
• Piptochaetium montevidense
• Rorippa sylvestris

http://data.daff.gov.au/brs/brsShop/data/sleeper_weeds_report_2006.pdf

The National Tropical Weeds Eradication Program targets five weed species native to tropical America that have been introduced into North Queensland:

• Limnocharis (Limnocharis flava)
• Mikania Vine (Mikania micrantha)
• Miconia (Miconia calvescens,  racemosa, M. nervosa)

Limnocharis, miconia and mikania vine are all considered serious weeds in other countries, while Miconia nervosa and Miconia racemosa have exhibited invasive characteristics in North Queensland.

The program is managed by Biosecurity Queensland, a business unit of the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Funding for the program is shared nationally with contributions from the Australian, Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and Western Australian governments.

The Red Witchweed National Eradication Program targets eradication of Striga asiatica, a parasitic plant which hosts on grasses, including sorghum, corn, sugar cane and various important pasture grasses.

The RWWNEP program is managed by Biosecurity Queensland, a business unit of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and jointly funded/supported by the Federal Government as well as state government agencies in Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory plus Grain Industry Peak Bodies, Meat and Livestock Association and Canegrowers.

Hawkweeds, Hieracium species, are also the subject of eradication programs in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.

In addition to the national lists above, state and territory governments have their own lists of noxious weeds. The Weeds Australia profiles contains a summary of the state and territory noxious weed legislation and associated lists.

We will be providing a list of species here imminently, as it is currently being updated.