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Noxious Weeds and YOU!

Noxious weeds are found throughout the Parramatta local government area on council reserves, crown land, industrial properties and residential land. Weeds declared noxious weeds under the provisions of the Noxious Weeds Act 1993 require action, preferably removal.

The National Noxious Weeds Strategy 1997 and NSW Noxious Weeds Strategy 1999 state that 'prevention and early intervention are the most cost-effective strategies that can be developed against weeds'. Copies can be found at www.agric.nsw.gov.au.

What plants are declared noxious weeds in Parramatta?
The following plants have been declared, pursuant to Sections 7 and 8 of the Noxious Weeds Act 1993, to be Noxious Weeds within the area of Parramatta City Council:

CATEGORY 2 WEEDS

CATEGORY 3 WEEDS

CATEGORY 4 WEEDS

What action do I have to take if I have a noxious weed on my property?
There are 3 categories of declared noxious weeds that require action, varying from treatment to removal.

Category W1 Weeds are weeds of limited distribution or presently not occurring within the State but which if not controlled or become introduced pose a severe threat to agriculture, the environment, or the community.

The presence of a W1 weed on land must be notified to Council and the weed must be fully and continuously suppressed and destroyed.

Category W2 Weeds are plants which pose a threat to agriculture, the environment, or the community and have the potential to spread to other lands.

A W2 Weed must be fully and continuously suppressed and destroyed.

Category W3 Weeds pose a threat to agriculture, the environment or the community and have potential to spread to other lands, but are so widespread that total suppression and destruction is impractical.

A W3 weed must be prevented from spreading and its numbers and distribution reduced.

Category W4 Weeds pose a threat to agriculture, the environment or the community and have potential to spread to other lands, but are so widespread that total suppression and destruction is impractical.

A range of actions is specified to control plant in this category as follows:

W4a Must not be sold, propagated or knowingly distributed and any part of the weed must be prevented from growing within three (3) metres of the boundary of a property.

W4b Must not be sold, propagated or knowingly distributed and any existing weed(s) must be prevented from flowering and fruiting.

W4c Must not be sold, propagated or knowingly distributed and the weed must be prevented from spreading to adjoining property.

W4f Must not be sold, propagated or knowingly distributed. Any biological control or other control program directed by Council must be implemented.

W4g Must not be sold, propagated or knowingly distributed.

Council's Noxious Weeds Program

PRIVATE PROPERTY
Reactively - Council's Noxious Weeds Officer works with property owners to meet the requirements of the Act. The most common weeds report are the small and large leaf Privets. Proactively - the Program identifies priority catchments and weeds. Between 1999 and 2001 Rhus Tree and Pampas Grass were targeted on private property in the Terry's, Ponds/Subiaco and Vineyard Creek catchments. Rhus Tree can cause extreme allergic reactions with minimal contact from leaves or sap. Pampas Grass spreads thousands of seeds with each plume which are wind borne for up to 20 kilometres.

PUBLIC LAND
The Program complements the bushland program and all control programs use the same ecological principles of bushland restoration with time frames for project being up to 10 years.

Noxious weeds are also an issue in local waterways, blocking creek and river systems and severely altering their ecology and often increasing flooding. The main aquatic weeds in the City are Alligator Weed, Salvinia and Water Hyacinth which have been found in Duck River, Vineyard Creek, Pendle and Toongabbie Creeks, Lake Parramatta, Hunts Creek and Parramatta River. Each of these weeds have been targeted in the Program with varying amounts of success depending on the weed and the location.

WILLOW AND OTHER UNDESIRABLE TREES
Willow and other large undesirable trees considered environmental weeds have been targeted for removal in a joint project with the Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust which commenced early 2000.

Willow trees along creek line reserves have been removed in the Dundas and Rydalmere areas to free creeks from the choking effects, which can cause flooding and riverbank erosion.

The Program is a long-term initiative to target the large numbers of these and other trees along our creek systems.

Noxious Weeds are a continuing problem in the Parramatta Local government area but with a more proactive system of informing residents Council will better control noxious weeds on private property.

For more information contact Council's Noxious Weeds Officer on 9806 5727, NSW Agriculture at www.agric.nsw.gov.au and Weed Society of NSW at http://nepeanbluezine.com.au/NSWWeedSoc/NoxiousWeeds/