Invasive Plants

Identification Service

What's this weed?

Weeds of the North Coast of NSW - A guide to identification and control

Plant species identification can be tricky business. There are several apps out there that serve as a valuable tool for identifying unfamiliar species. These apps however, are limited by the data that they are able to access and can fall short on providing regional specific information.

The invasive plants team at Bellingen Shire Council offer a free identification service. If you have a plant that you suspect as being a weed, read the guide below and fill out the form at the bottom of the page and we will give you our best guess as to what it is.

Geographic information example: 33 Hyde street, Bellingen. In shady nature strip on grass boundary. 

Image upload example: It is important to display any key characteristic of the plant. One photo should have the whole plant in the frame, showing the growth habit. Other photos should focus on displaying distinctive close-up features of the plant (fruit, flower, seeds, stem, leaf, etc.) See below for reference.

Click here to view form.

Biosecurity Act 2015 - Prioritisation and Responsibility

Invasive Plant Management falls under the Biosecurity Act 2015 (replacing the repealed Noxious Weeds Act). Operating on a priority scale, with state and regional priorities. Priorities for Bellingen shire council are dictated by the North coast regional strategic weed management plan.

North Coast Regional Strategic Weed Management Plan 2023-2027

The Biosecurity Act is tenure neutral, as the responsibilities apply equally to all land holders, whether public or private. Any land managers and users of land have a General Biosecurity Duty - to ensure that biosecurity risks are prevent, eliminated or minimised so far as is reasonably practicable.

Councils Responsibility

As the local control authority for weeds, Bellingen Shire Council will:

• appoint and support staff as authorised officers under the Act
• inspect lands for high-risk weeds and seek compliance with the Act from owners/occupiers
• educate their communities about weeds risk and best practice management
• control high-risk weeds
• submit weeds management records to the NSW government
• participate in the North Coast Regional Weed Committee

The General Biosecurity Duty as described in Section 22 of the Act will be enforced for Containment priority and higher ranked weed species as described in the North Coast Regional Strategic Weed Management Plan. This will ensure that Council resources are directed to preventing the establishment and spread of the highest priority weeds. 

Council will not undertake control of weeds on non-council managed land, however Authorised Officers will follow up all reports of priority weeds and instigate education and/or enforcement actions as required. 

Disputes between neighbours over the management of plants and non-priority weeds should be directed towards your neighbour in the first instance, if you are unable to come to a resolution the Community Justice Centre can provide mediation as a next step.

Requests for management of plants and non-priority weeds that are of a purely civil nature should be directed through Customer & Business Services as a Service Request.

Council may, in certain limited circumstances, consider allowing the self funded removal of vegetation on public land by concerned persons when removal by council is not currently justifiable on the basis of risk and/or budgetary constraints. Such circumstances may include (but are not restricted to) the pre-emptive removal of vegetation that is highly likely to become a future risk to life or property or the removal of vegetation that is a non-priority/widespread/environmental weed or a nonpreferred species of vegetation.

Council continues to work on control plans, where required, for Containment priority and higher ranked weed species where there are significant infestations on public and private lands requiring coordinated efforts from all stakeholders. 

Landholders Responsibility

Due to the topographical and climatic features of the Shire the growth of vegetation is prolific and abundant. Unfortunately not all of this vegetation is desirable.

Current landowners, or when purchasing a property, make sure you are informed and aware of the presence of weeds and your responsibilities as a landowner under the Biosecurity Act 2015. Your beautiful paradise may well be a weed haven - requiring many years of hard work and resources to bring under control.

Ensure you have the capacity to uphold your General Biosecurity Duty (GBD) to prevent, eliminate or minimise the spread of weeds.

Whilst all weeds pose a biosecurity risk and carry a GBD, land managers must prioritise certain weeds to ensure that they direct their limited resources to activities of greatest benefit. The NSW Weed Risk Management System and generalised weed invasion curve are the foundations of weed prioritisation.

We invite you to come into Council for free weed control Information.

Council Wide Herbicide Review

Council has undertaken an independent review of all herbicide usage with a 6-month trial of alternative herbicides and other weed management methods within Bellingen Shire. The drivers for this project are Council’s commitment to the community and ecologically sustainable development, together with our invasive weed management role.

Download Final Report(PDF, 15MB)

Summary

Bellingen Shire Council (BSC) has a

n integrated approach to weed management, using herbicides alongside other methods including mechanical and manual removal techniques, biological controls and other bush regeneration activities. Following increasing community concern regarding impacts on human health and the residual environmental impacts of herbicides used for weed management, BSC has resolved to review its use of herbicides. Advisian were engaged by Bellingen Shire Council (BSC) in late 2021 to undertake a review of herbicide use in the BSC Local Government Area (LGA) as well as design and assess the results of an alternatives herbicide trial for the LGA.

The Scope of Works included:

1. A literature review on international and Australian considerations of herbicides in use and trials of alternative herbicide products and methods.

2. Assessment of BSC’s current herbicide use including type of product, quantity used, cost, labour time and areas of application.

3. Stakeholder engagement to identify areas in the LGA of greatest concern regarding herbicide use.

4. A 6-month trial period of herbicide alternative/s at sites identified through stakeholder engagement.

5. A comparison between BSC’s current herbicide practices ((i) above) and the adoption of herbicide alternative practices ((iv) above); and

6. A review of the BSC Pesticide Use Notification Plan (2014) in accordance with findings of (i)-(v) above.

A review was undertaken of herbicide usage within the three main weed management areas of urban, roadsides and bush regeneration within a 12-month period (generally between July 2020- August 2020). Herbicides used by BSC during this period included glyphosate, metsulfuron methyl, triclopyr, picloram and aminopyralid. Methods of application were targeted using cut and paint (metsulfuron methyl) or multipurpose targeted sprays using a backpack, hand spray or powered units. Within urban areas, most weed management was undertaken using mechanical methods with very low volumes of glyphosate applied with a targeted spot spraying application. Similarly, within bush regeneration sites there were minimal herbicides used and only when required. Roadside maintenance had the highest volume of herbicide usage, given the challenges of applying integrated methods over large and often steep roadside areas.

There are also currently few viable alternative methods or products available for woody weeds. A review of herbicide alternatives or alternative methods was undertaken based on case studies undertaken in Australia. Alternative methods that have been previously trialed include organic (acid or oil based) herbicides, alternative synthetic herbicides, other mechanical methods, sodium chloride, flame weeding, steam weeding or alternative application methods (such as wick wiping). A considerable amount of work has already been undertaken to trial and investigate these alternative methods within BSC. While many methods have been integrated into the BSC toolbox approach, there are no alternative herbicide products which have met the four criteria of cost (labour and product), effectiveness, environmental and human health risks. Alternative approaches have also tended to be more suitable for urban type areas and multipurpose treatment of more fragile (non-woody) species.

Stakeholder consultation was undertaken through a survey and workshop to gather feedback on all areas of weed management and also to inform the design of the herbicide alternative trial. The outcome of the consultation was an overview of community concerns which ranged from inappropriate use of herbicides, human health impacts, environment impacts, difficulties in logistics of using alternative methods, risks of glyphosate, lack of effective weed management and applying the lessons learnt from previous trials. The consultation also guided the methods for the herbicide alternative trial.

The herbicide alternative trial was undertaken during Summer of 2021/22 over 12 weeks at Bellingen Waste Depot, Dorrigo Sewage Treatment Plant and Mylestom Tennis Courts, to represent the variety of climate conditions within BSC LGA. The effectiveness of weed treatments (including glyphosate, imazapyr, acetic acid and steam weeding) were assessed on fixed transects and fixed photoquadrats (n=5 per location) with measurements of weed species and percentage cover (%Cover) taken at 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 weeks. A total of 300 photoquadrats were measured in the trial (three locations x four treatments x five photoquadrats). The photoquadrats were used in SamplePoint© software to calculate the %Cover of the main weed categories of grasses, herbs, bulbs, woody and sedges. Multivariate analysis was then used to determine if there was significant effectiveness of the treatments at each location and how long this lasted.

The results of the herbicide alternative trial found the following:

▪ Imazapyr had similar effectiveness to glyphosate in treating grass weeds at Dorrigo and Mylestom but was not very effective on herbaceous weeds. This herbicide has similar short term toxicity as glyphosate but much lower long-term toxicity (based on review of available studies in mammals). This product is a viable alternative for grasses but more expensive (at least five times that of glyphosate based on chemical costs).

▪ Local Safe® (acetic acid) was more effective than glyphosate at reducing herbaceous weed cover at all locations but was not very effective on grass weeds. This product requires more product to be effective and more frequent applications. The costs of using this product (including labour) are at least 10 times that of glyphosate. This product is considered to be viable for herbaceous weeds but more expensive (at least ten times that of glyphosate based on chemical and labour costs).

▪ Steam weeding only provided effective reduction to 3 weeks at Bellingen and Mylestom but had no reduction in weed cover following a second application. The poor results are likely to be related to the higher soil moisture across all locations. Based on this trial, this method would be very labour intensive and may not be as suitable for the region (compared to other Australian locations) given the high rainfall within the Bellingen LGA.

▪ None of the trialed alternative products are considered suitable as a replacement of glyphosate usage in terms of meeting the criteria that are required for a long-term replacement. However, imazapyr and Local Safe® are recommended for inclusion as part of the toolbox approach, particularly in urban areas. 

Based on the outcomes of this review, including stakeholder consultation and the alternative trial, the following recommendations are made to BSC:

1. Herbicide alternatives should continue to be considered where practical, especially in areas of high public use. There are currently no suitable alternatives to synthetic herbicides for large operational areas (such as roadsides) or for woody weeds.

2. Glyphosate should be continued to be used where required (where there are no suitable and practical alternatives).

3. Herbicide ‘no spray’ 20 m exclusion zones are recommended around urban sensitive areas.

4. Provision of education and training for all pesticide applicators including volunteers.

5. Maintain weed profile to assist with management.

6. Consistent pesticide application record keeping and training on how to fill out.

7. Continued review of pesticide usage and weed management options.

8. Revision of Pesticide Use Notification Plan (2014).

Buying Property?

When considering the biosecurity risks associated with buying a property, particularly in terms of weeds, it's important to assess the potential impact on the environment, agriculture, and human health. Weeds can pose significant challenges and risks in various ways:

• Ecological Impact: Weeds can outcompete native vegetation, leading to biodiversity loss and habitat degradation. They may alter soil composition, disrupt nutrient cycles, and affect the availability of resources for native species.
• Agricultural Impact: Weeds can reduce crop yields, interfere with livestock grazing, and increase production costs. Invasive weeds may also introduce diseases and pests that can harm agricultural productivity.
• Human Health Concerns: Some weeds may produce allergens or toxins that can affect human health. For example, pollen from certain weeds can trigger allergies, while contact with certain plant species can cause skin irritation or respiratory issues.
• Economic Costs: Managing weed infestations can be expensive, both for individual landowners and for governments. Controlling invasive weeds requires resources such as herbicides, equipment, labour, and ongoing monitoring efforts.
• Legal Obligations: Property owners may have legal obligations to control the spread of invasive weeds on their land. Failure to manage weed infestations could result in fines or other penalties.

Investigation service

In light of these risks, council has included a services into its list of fees and charges aimed at informing prospective purchasers. These requests will be processed by the Invasive Plants team. 

Priority weeds inspection ($250)

With signed permission from the owner of the land, a priority weeds inspection may be purchased. A report will be produced within five working days of receiving landholder consent and released upon payment. The report will detail any invasive species classified as Prevention, Eradication or Containment under the regional strategic weeds management plan that were found during this inspection. The following locations will be inspected as a minimum:

• Cattle camps and yards
• Chicken coops
• Livestock feed out areas
• Cropping areas e.g. sugar cane and improved pastures
• Burn piles, piles of fill or soil
• Disturbed areas where machinery has been used
• Gardens and ponds
• Dams and waterways
• Feral animal haunts (if known)

Selling Plants?

Everyone has a part to play in protecting the biodiversity of out of our beautiful region.

Unfortunately, even the most beautiful and interesting plants could potentially be prevented from sale or trade. Don’t buy, sell or move plants, flowers or foliage that put our region at risk. Ornamental plants and flowers can quickly become invasive, and threaten the survival of hundreds of native plants and animals. 

The good news is – there is a simple and easy way to check the plants you are trading. The NSW WeedWise App identifies weeds of concern in our area and allows you to report them – all at the click of a button!  You can also report to our dedicated Invasive Plants Officer, through our website.

The full list of Weed Plants not to be sold in all or parts of NSW can be found on the Department of Primary Industry (DPI) website

All plants are regulated with a General Biosecurity Duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Download a copy of the prohibited plant list here(PDF, 496KB) - as at August 2022

NSW WeedWise

NSW WeedWise contains key information to help users reduce the impact of over 300 weeds in New South Wales.

Users, ranging from home gardeners and residents to farmers, land managers and weeds professionals, can search or browse weed names (common or scientific); recognise a weed by its physical description and image gallery; and find out about its impacts, where it occurs, how it spreads and its preferred habitat.

Control options are described for each weed and the herbicides registered for control by the Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicines Authority are listed, including application rates and techniques, and any minor-use permits that must be complied with.

General, state or regional biosecurity duties under the Biosecurity Act 2015 are displayed for each weed.

NSW WeedWise can be accessed as web pages or as a smartphone app

Weed Alert

Control Plans

New weeds reported in our Shire to actively look for on your property

September 2021 - Bellingen & Fernmount - Water Hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes(PDF, 662KB)

March 2022 - Bellingen Valley and Coastal - Cockspur Coral Tree erythrina crista galli Eradication Campaign(PDF, 923KB)

Weed and Vegetation Management Program

Council continues to conduct its Weed and Vegetation Management Programs throughout the year. All works are subject to postponement depending upon weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances.

View the Pesticide Use Notification(PDF, 191KB) (PUN)

View the Pesticide Use Notification Plan (PUNP)(PDF, 320KB)

(PDF, 275KB)Glyphosate - a chemical to understand(PDF, 2MB)