| Impact of Noxious Weeds | Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3 | Class 4 | Class 5 | Class 4 Weed Management Plans |   

NOXIOUS WEEDS

A noxious weed is a plant declared to be noxious under the Noxious Weeds Act 1993.   Noxious weeds can be agricultural weeds, environmental weeds, or have a direct impact on human health.   The Act requires landholders to control noxious weeds and gives Council powers to control noxious weeds where a landholder fails to carry out their control obligations.

Impacts of Noxious Weeds:

Human Health

Exposure to pollen or plant material from some weeds can cause hay fever, asthma and dermatitis in susceptible people.   Some weeds are also poisonous to humans, and the spines or thorns of many weeds can cause physical injury.

Biodiversity

Many weeds can displace native vegetation and in some cases are a direct threat to the survival of threatened or endangered plants, animals and ecological communities.

Waterways

Aquatic weeds can choke and smother waterways, displace native plants, reduce oxygen levels, and threaten the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems.   Aquatic weeds can also increase the risk of flooding, impede recreational activities such as swimming and boating, and reduce the aesthetic value of waterways.

Agriculture

Many weeds can reduce farm productivity by competing with pasture plants and crops, hindering cultivation and harvesting, contaminating produce, and poisoning or injuring livestock.   The cost of controlling weeds also has a significant economic impact on the agricultural industry.

How are plants declared noxious weeds?

The Minister for Primary Industries may publish an order in the Government Gazette declaring a plant to be a noxious weed.   A weed control order takes effect from the date of gazettal and remains in force for a period of up to 5 years specified in the order.

Noxious weeds list.

The following plants have been declared noxious weeds in the City of Ryde.

Class 1. State Prohibited Weeds.

Characteristics

Class 1 noxious weeds are plants that pose a potentially serious threat to primary production or the environment and are not present in the State or are present only to a limited extent.

Control objective

Prevent the introduction and establishment of those plants in NSW.

Control action

The plant must be eradicated from the land and the land must be kept free of the plant.

Common Name	Scientific Name
Anchored water hyacinth	Eichhornia azurea
Black knapweed	Centaurea nigra
Broomrapes	Orobanche species Includes all Orobanche species except the native O. cernua variety australiana and O. minor
Chinese violet	Asystasia gangetica subspecies micrantha
East Indian hygrophila	Hygrophila polysperma
Eurasian water milfoil	Myriophyllum spicatum
Hawkweed	Hieracium species
Horsetail	Equisetum species
Hymenachne	Hymenachne amplexicaulis
Karoo thorn	Acacia karroo
Kochia	Bassia scoparia except Bassia scoparia subspecies trichophylla
Lagarosiphon	Lagarosiphon major
Mexican feather grass	Nassella tenuissima
Miconia	Miconia species
Mimosa	Mimosa pigra
Parthenium weed	Parthenium hysterophorus
Pond apple	Annona glabra
Prickly acacia	Acacia nilotica
Rubbervine	Cryptostegia grandiflora
Senegal tea plant	Gymnocoronis spilanthoides
Siam weed	Chromolaena odorata
Spotted knapweed	Centaurea maculosa
Water caltrop	Trapa species
Water lettuce	Pistia stratiotes
Water soldier	Stratiotes aloides
Witchweed	Striga species Includes all Striga species except native species and Striga parviflora
Yellow burrhead	Limnocharis flava

 

Class 2. Regionally Prohibited Weeds.

Characteristics

Class 2 noxious weeds are plants that pose a potentially serious threat to primary production or the environment of a region to which the order applies and are not present in the region or are present only to a limited extent.

Control objective

Prevent the introduction and establishment of those plants in parts of NSW.

Control action

The plant must be eradicated from the land and the land must be kept free of the plant.

Common Name	Scientific Name
Hygrophila	Hygrophila costata
Salvinia	Salvinia molesta
Water hyacinth	Eichhornia crassipes

 

Class 3. Regionally Controlled Weeds

Characteristics

Class 3 noxious weeds are plants that pose a serious threat to primary production or the environment of an area to which the order applies, are not widely distributed in the area and are likely to spread in the area or to another area.

Control objective

Reduce the area and the impact of those plants in parts of NSW.

Control action

The plant must be fully and continuously suppressed and destroyed.

Common Name	Scientific Name
Alligator weed	Alternanthera philoxeroides
Bitou bush	Chrysanthemoides monilifera subspecies rotunda
Boneseed	Chrysanthemoides monilifera subspecies monilifera
Cape broom	Genista monspessulana
Green cestrum	Cestrum parqui
Long-leaf willow primrose	Ludwigia longifolia
Ludwigia	Ludwigia peruviana
Pampas grass	Cortaderia species
Tussock paspalum	Paspalum quadrifarium

 

Class 4. Locally Controlled Weeds.

Characteristics

Class 4 noxious weeds are plants that pose a threat to primary production, the environment or human health, are widely distributed in an area to which the order applies and are likely to spread in the area or to another area.

Control objective

Minimise the negative impact of those plants on the economy, community or environment of NSW.

Control action

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, and the plant may not be sold, propagated or knowingly distributed.

Common Name	Scientific Name
African olive	Olea europaea subspecies cuspidata
Asparagus fern	Asparagus aethiopicus
Balloon vine	Cardiospermum grandiflorum
Blackberry	Rubus fruticosus aggregate species except cultivars Black satin, Chehalem, Chester Thornless, Dirksen Thornless, Loch Ness, Murrindindi, Silvan, Smoothstem, Thornfree
Bridal creeper	Asparagus asparagoides
Camphor laurel	Cinnamomum camphora
Cape ivy	Delairea odorata
Castor oil plant	Ricinus communis
Cat's claw creeper	Macfadyena unguis-cati
Chilean needle grass	Nassella neesiana
Climbing asparagus fern	Asparagus plumosus
Elephant grass	Arundo donax
English broom	Cytisus scoparius
Giant reed	Arundo donax
Harrisia cactus