NOXIOUS & ENVIRONMENTAL WEED
What is a noxious weed?
A noxious weed is a plant that poses a threat to agriculture, the environment or the community and has the potential to spread to other areas.
It has been declared, by order of the Minister published in the Gazette, to be a noxious weed for the purposes of the Noxious Weeds Act, 1993.
Other weeds, known as environmental weeds, are plants that aggressively invade native bushland outside their normal geographic range, and displace native flora and fauna.
Noxious Weeds Act, 1993
The Noxious Weeds Act 1993 states that occupiers of land have a responsibility for controlling noxious weeds on the land they occupy.
The Act applies to a plant declared, by order of the Minister published in the Gazette, to be a noxious weed for the purposes of this Act.
The objects of this Act are to:
- identify noxious weeds in respect of which particular control measures need to be taken
- specify those control measures
- specify the duties of public and
private landholders as to the control of those noxious weeds
- provide a framework for the State-wide control of those noxious weeds by the Minister and local control authorities
For a copy of the Act please visit www.legislation.nsw.gov.au
Noxious weeds of the Leichhardt Municipality
Noxious weeds of the Leichhardt Municipality - 37 KB
Class 1 - State Prohibited Weeds. "The plant must be eradicated from the land and the land must be kept free of the plant." |
Common name | Scientific name |
Black knapweed | Centaurea nigra |
Broomrape | Orobanche species |
Chinese violet | Asystasai gangetica subspecies micrantha |
Eurasian milfoil | Myrophyllum spicatum |
East Indian Hygrophila | Hygrophila polysperma |
Hawkweed | Hieracium species |
Horsetail | Equisetum species |
Hymenache | Hymenache amplexicauis |
Karroo thorn | Acacia karroo |
Kochia | Bassia scoparia |
Lagarosiphon | Lagarosiphon major |
Mexican feather grass | Nassella tenuisima |
Miconia | Miconia species |
Mimosa | Mimosa pigra |
Parthinium weed | Parthinium hysterophorus |
Pond Apple | Annona glabra |
Prickly acacia | Acacia nilotica |
Rubber vine | Cryptostegia grandiflora |
Senegal tea plant | Gymnocoronis spilanthoides |
Siam Weed | Chromolaena odorata |
Spotted knapweed | Centaurea maculosa |
Water caltrop | Trapa species |
Water soldier | Stratoides aloides |
Whitch weed | Striga species |
Yellow burrhead | Limnocharis flava |
Class 2 - Regionally Prohibited Weeds. "The plant must be eradicated from the land and the land must be kept free of the plant." |
Hygrophyla | Hygrophyla costata |
Salvinia | Salvinia molesta |
Water Hyacinth | Eichhornia crassipes |
Class 3 - Regionally Controlled Weeds. "The plant must be fully and continuously suppressed and destroyed." |
Alligator weed | Alternanthera philoxeroides |
Green cestrum | Cestrum parqui |
Ludwigia | Ludwigia peruviana |
Class 4 - Locally Controlled Weeds. "The growth and spread of the plant must be controlled according to the measures specified in a management plan published by the local control authority." |
Bitou bush | Chysanthemoides monilifera subspecies rotunda |
Blackberry | Rubus fruiticosus aggregate species |
Boneseed | Chysanthemoides monilifera subspecies monilifera |
Castor oil | Ricinus communis |
Chillean needle grass | Nassella neesiana |
Harrisia cactus | Harrisia species |
Lantana | Lantana species |
Long-leaf Willow primrose | Ludwigea longifolia |
Pampas grass | Cortaderia species |
Pellitory | Parietaria judaica |
Prickly pear | Cylindropuntia species |
Broad leaf Privet | Ligustrum lucidium |
Narrow leaf privet | Ligustrum sinense |
Rhus tree | Toxicodendron succedanea |
Serrated tussock | Nassella trichotoma |
St Johns wort | Hypericum perforatum |
Class 5 - Restricted Plants through out NSW. "The requirements in the Noxious Weeds Act 1993 for a notifiable weed must be complied with." |
Annual ragweed | Ambrosia artemisiifolia |
Arrow head | Saggittaria montevidensis |
Artichoke thistle | Cynara cardunculus |
Athel tree | Tamarix aphylla |
African feathergrass | Pennisetum macrourum |
African turnipweed | Sisymbrium runcinatum |
African turnipweed | Sisymbrium thellungii |
Bridle Creeper | Asparagus aspagagoides |
Cabomba | Cabomba caroliniana |
Cayenne snake weed | Stachtarpheta cayennensis |
Clock weed | Gaura lindheimeri |
Clock weed | Gaura parviflora |
Corn Sowthistle | Sonchus brownii |
Fountain Grass | Pennisetum setaceum |
Gallons Curse | Cenchrus biflorus |
Espartillo | Achnatherum brachychaetum |
Glaucus Star thistle | Carthmus glaucus |
Golden sowthistle | Scolymus hispanicus |
Mexican poppy | Argemone mexicana |
MossmanRiver Grass | Cenchrus echinatus |
Onion Grass | Romulea species |
Oxalis | Oxalis species |
Red Rice | Oryza ruflipogan |
Sagittaria | Sagittaria platyphlla |
Sand Oat | Avena strigose |
Smooth Stemmed turnip | Brassica barrelieri subspecies axyrrhina |
Soldier thistle | Picnonon acarra |
Texas blue weed | Helianthus ciliaris |
Yellow nut grass | Cyperus esculentus |
Willows | Salix species |
Noxious Weed Fact Sheet – Asthma Weed
Asthma Weed is a serious noxious weed in the Sydney Metropolitan region.
Leichhardt Council is participating in an Asthma Weed Education and Incentives Project which is now underway in the Sydney Metropolitan region. The project aims to increase the community’s identification and awareness of Asthma Weed and assist residents to remove any plants on their properties.
Known botanically as Parietaria judaica, Asthma Weed is also known as Sticky Weed, Pellitory and Kirribilli Curse. This weed can grow just about anywhere and in any conditions, and is common in gardens, laneways and brick and rock walls.
Asthma Weed is related to stinging nettles, and the sticky hairs on the plant’s leaves and stem may produce a skin rash in sensitive people who come into contact with the plant. The pollen of Asthma Weed may also trigger hay fever, conjunctivitis, rhinitis and asthma. This problem is magnified by the fact that Asthma Weed can flower most of the year.
Contact Councils Biodiversity Officer on 9367 9326 to find out more about how you can control Asthma weed.
People interested in finding out more about noxious and environmental weeds in Sydney, including Asthma Weed, can visit www.sydneyweeds.org.au or www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/weeds.
Click on the link for the Asthma Weed fact sheet - Asthma weed Fact Sheet - 2,656 KB.
What is an Environmental weed?
Many of the weeds that have been classified noxious by the Department of Primary Industries are not necessarily the most problematic species in Leichhardt LGA. The following list of plants are species which have been accidentally allowed to naturalise on both public and private land and are known "Environmental Weeds" or "Garden Escapes". Put simply, "environmental weeds are plants that invade and thrive in enviroments in which they do not naturally occur" (Australian Nature Conservation Agency). These plants typically produce large numbers of seeds and spread through either seed being carried by wind, water and soil run-off, ingestion by and later dispersal by animals or vegetatively.
Outside of their natural range, these plant species growth/and or reproduction become rampant. They can rapidly out compete with other plant species and thereby reduce biodiversity and fauna habit. Some "Australian Native" species also fall onto this list as they originate from a part of Australila and have in a weedy habit when they are grown in Sydney.
There are a number of websites that go into a lot of detail about how to identify and control these plants. Their control is largely a matter of gradual and patient hand removal.
"Garden Escapes"
This list is included on Council's website to raise awareness about certain garden plants which have been planted out in the past as low maintenance species, but have a habit of growing out of control. Residents are encouraged to avoid using these plants in their gardens as it can be very difficult to control their spread.
These plants will not necessarily have to be destroyed bu it is important that these plants are identified so they can be kept under control and not allowed to spread indefinitely.
A detailed study of environmental weeds and "garden escapes" can be found at the following link.
http://www.weedsbluemountains.org.au/jumping_the_garden_fence.pdf
Link to Guidelines
Application for Declaration and Weed Control Plan
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/weeds
Sydney Central Weeds Brochure weeds 1 - 1,136 KB & weeds 2 - 877 KB & weed photos - 877 KB
Weed Management Strategy
A Weed Management Strategy for the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority region was released in 2007. The strategy can be downloaded here:
Weed Management Strategy for the Sydney Metropolitan CMA region - 2,454 KB
For further information, please visit the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority website at www.sydney.cma.nsw.gov.au/index.php?Itemid=47&id=27&option=com_content&task=view.