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The Loam Ranger – Noxious weeds

The Loam Ranger

Dear Loam Ranger,

I've been told I have noxious weeds on my place. What's a noxious weed and what should I do about them?

The term 'noxious weed' is strictly a legal term, as opposed to 'environmental weed', which is any plant that invades natural systems.
The NSW Noxious Weeds Act 1993 declares and classifies plants that are a danger to human health, serious economic pests or invaders of natural systems. Owners and occupiers of property are obliged to comply with this Act.

A noxious weed that is classified as a Class 1, 2 or 5 noxious weed is referred to in this Act as a notifiable weed.

Weed control classes

The following weed control classes may be applied to a plant by a weed control order:

Class 1 - State prohibited weeds
Characteristics: 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.

Class 2 - Regionally prohibited weeds
Characteristics: 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.

Class 3 - Regionally controlled weeds
Characteristics: 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.

Class 4 - Locally controlled weeds
Characteristics: 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.

Class 5 - Restricted plants
Characteristics: Plants that are likely, by their sale or the sale of their seeds or movement within the State or an area of the State, to spread in the State or outside the State.
Control objectives: Prevent the introduction of those plants into NSW, and the spread of those plants within NSW or from NSW to another jurisdiction.
Control action: The requirements in the Noxious Weeds Act 1993.

Botanical name	Common name
Class 1
Acacia karroo	Karoo thorn
Acacia nilotica	Prickly acacia
Annona glabra	Pond apple
Asystasia gangetica ssp. micrantha	Chinese violet
Bassia scoparia	Kochia
Centaurea maculosa	Spotted knapweed
Centaurea nigra	Black knapweed
Chromolaena odorata	Siam weed
Cryptostegia grandiflora	Rubbervine
Eichhornia azurea	Anchored water hyacinth
Equisetum spp.	Horsetail
Gymnocoronis spilanthoides	Senegal tea plant
Hieracium spp.	Hawkweed
Hygrophila polysperma	East Indian hygrophila
Hymenachne amplexicaulis	Hymenachne
Lagarosiphon major	Lagarosiphon
Limnocharis flava	Yellow burrhead
Miconia spp.	Miconia
Mimosa pigra	Mimosa
Myriophyllum spicatum	Eurasian water milfoil
Nassella tenuissima	Mexican feather grass
Orobanche spp.; includes all Orobanche spp. except the native O. cernua var. australiana and O. minor	Broomrapes
Parthenium hysterophorus	Parthenium weed
Pistia stratiotes	Water lettuce
Stratiotes aloides	Water soldier
Striga spp.	Witchweed
Trapa spp.	Water caltrop
Class 2
Alternanthera philoxeroides	Alligator weed
Eichhornia crassipes	Water hyacinth
Hygrophila costata	Hygrophila
Salvinia molesta	Salvinia
Class 3
Cestrum parqui	Green cestrum
Sporobolus fertilis	Giant Parramatta grass
Ulex europaeus	Gorse
Class 4
Ageratina adenophora	Crofton weed
Arundo donax	Giant reed
Asparagus aethiopicus	Asparagus fern
Cenchrus incertus, Cenchrus longispinus	Spiny burrgrass
Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. monilifera	Boneseed
Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. rotundata	Bitou bush
Cinnamomum camphora	Camphor laurel
Cortaderia spp.	Pampas grass
Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora	Montbretia
Cylindropuntia spp.	Prickly pear
Cytisus scoparius	Scotch broom
Echium spp.	Paterson's curse, viper’s bugloss, Italian bugloss
Genista linifolia	Flax-leaf broom
Genista monspessulana	Cape broom
Harrisia spp.	Harrisia cactus
Hypericum perforatum	St. John's wort
Ligustrum lucidum	Privet (broadleaf)
Ligustrum sinense	Privet (narrowleaf/Chinese)
Ludwigia longifolia	Long-leaf willow primrose
Lycium ferocissimum	African boxthorn
Nassella neesiana	Chilean needle grass
Nassella trichotoma	Serrated tussock
Opuntia spp. except O. ficus-indica	Prickly pear
Phyllostachys spp.	Rhizomatous bamboo
Rubus fruticosus s.l.	Blackberry
Sorghum halepense	Johnson grass
Sorghum x almum	Columbus grass
Toxicodendron succedanea	Rhus tree
Xanthium spp.	Bathurst / Noogoora / Californian / cockle burrs
Class 5
Achnatherum brachychaetum	Espartillo
Ambrosia artemisiifolia	Annual ragweed
Ambrosia confertiflora	Burr ragweed
Argemone mexicana	Mexican poppy
Asparagus asparagoides	Bridal creeper
Avena strigosa	Sand oat
Brassica barrelieri ssp. oxyrrhina	Smooth-stemmed turnip
Cabomba caroliniana	Cabomba
Carthamus glaucus	Glaucous starthistle
Cenchrus biflorus	Gallon's curse
Cenchrus brownii	Fine-bristled burr grass
Cenchrus echinatus	Mossman River grass
Cuscuta spp.; includes all Cuscuta spp. except the native spp. C. australis, C. tasmanica and C. victoriana	Dodder
Cynara cardunculus	Artichoke thistle
Cyperus esculentus	Yellow nutgrass
Gaura lindheimeri, Gaura parviflora	Clockweed
Helianthus ciliaris	Texas blueweed
Lantana spp.	Lantana
Oryza rufipogon	Red rice
Oxalis spp. and varieties; includes all Oxalis spp. and varieties except the native spp. O. chnoodes, O. exilis, O. perennans, O. radicosa, O. rubens, and O. thompsoniae	Oxalis
Pennisetum macrourum	African feathergrass
Pennisetum setaceum	Fountain grass
Picnomon acarna	Soldier thistle
Romulea spp.; includes all Romulea spp. and varieties except R. rosea var. australis	Onion grass
Sagittaria montevidensis	Arrowhead
Sagittaria platyphylla	Sagittaria
Salix spp.; includes all Salix spp. except S. babylonica, S. x reichardtii, S. x calodendron	Willows
Scolymus hispanicus	Golden thistle
Sisymbrium runcinatum, Sisymbrium thellungii	African turnipweed
Sonchus arvensis	Corn sowthistle
Stachytarpheta cayennensis	Cayenne snakeweed
Tamarix aphylla	Athel tree

Fertile Minds contents page

The Loam Ranger – Noxious weeds

Weed control classes