Weed control on public land

Biosecurity is a shared responsibility. We all need to do our bit to protect the economy, environment and community from biosecurity threats. 

Council and other government land managers have a range of programs to control weeds and other biosecurity threats on public land.

Council’s weed control programs

Council must control weeds on their own land that pose a biosecurity impact and have procedures in place to minimise their spread. 

The regional plan lists those weeds that are considered priority weeds at the State and regional level based on assessments using the NSW Weed Risk Management system. Council has also determined weed risk down to every locality and suburb and is working on asset-specific assessments for widespread weeds.

In addition to weeds managed under the Biosecurity program, other categories of weed management by Council include:

  • Roadside safety weeds - This includes regular control of any plant growing too close to a formed road that may pose a traffic hazard by obscuring guideposts, signs and other vehicles.
  • Amenity weeds - To maintain the visual appeal and safe public use of the CBD, parks, playgrounds, sportsfields and community land.
  • Rehabilitation site weeds – To prepare and maintain sites for rehabilitation projects that are improving the condition of natural areas.

Biosecurity weed control on Council land

The main task is seasonal control of priority widespread weeds on all council roadsides and other reserves where they are posing an impact. The main weeds targeted are Serrated tussock and African lovegrass (winter), Broom species (spring), St John’s wort (summer) and Blackberry (autumn). Passive surveillance for new weeds is also undertaken during this routine control program. 

Priority asset sites are also managed more intensively to reduce the impacts of weeds over time, and may include the control of a wider variety of invasive plant species not normally requiring control but posing an impact on the asset. Council has many sites with habitat for native species and ecological communities that are threatened with extinction and need active management to protect them from the key threatening process of weed invasion. The identification of these sites and development of site-specific weed management plans is ongoing.

Sites known to have isolated infestations of high risk weeds are regularly monitored and those weeds controlled to achieve long term eradication.

Short videos

QPRC weed control program

Further information

Weed management on roads

Biosecurity weed control on other public land

Control of weeds on non-Council public land is the responsibility of the relevant government body that manages that land. For information regarding the weed control program on public land please contact the government body responsible for managing that land. 

If you are not satisfied that a land manager (public or private) is meeting their biosecurity duty then please contact Council’s Biosecurity team. For more information see My neighbour is not controlling their weeds.

Pest animal and disease control

The control of pest animals and diseases is managed by the State agency Local Land Services

Call 1300 795 299 to contact your Local Land Service office.

More information

 

Pesticide usage

Council roadsides and reserves are sprayed to control biosecurity pest weeds.

We produce a list which shows the road, weed type and herbicide type that will be used.

Download the latest Notification of Pesticide use here.(PDF, 99KB)