Weeds are a major threat to our unique natural environment, threatening the survival of hundreds of native plants and animals. They impact on the price of food, human health through allergies and asthma, recreational activities and the NSW economy.
The broad objectives for biosecurity are to manage risks in NSW from animal and plant pests and diseases, weeds and contaminants by:
- preventing their entry into the state
- quickly finding, containing and eradicating any new entries
- effectively minimising the impacts of those pests, diseases, weeds and contaminants that cannot be eradicated through robust management arrangements.
Changes to NSW legislation in 2017 saw the former Noxious Weeds Act replaced by the Biosecurity Act and Biosecurity Regulation.
Weeds management is now a shared responsibility with all landholders ensuring they are not allowing new weeds to take hold on their land. You can visit NSW Weedwise and search for the Central Coast for the complete list of weeds and the control requirements for each species.
Salvinia
Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) is a free-floating water weed, native to South America that thrives in warmer weather forming dense mats of vegetation on water surfaces. In warm weather and with adequate nutrients, Salvinia can double its volume in less than three days.
Salvinia is found in Australia and is listed as a Weed of National Significance and must not be imported into NSW, sold, bartered, exchanged or offered for sale.
The community can help stop the spread of Salvinia by:
- checking boats, kayaks, trailers and cars that have been used in our waterways for Salvinia after exiting and before entering a waterway
- ensuring Salvinia is not acquired for use in fishponds, tanks or dams and that if it is in use, ensure that it is removed and disposed of appropriately
- notifying Council of any further Salvinia outbreaks they have witnessed within the Central Coast Local Government Area.
If you have small quantities of Salvinia in your home fish tanks or ponds, place the weed in a bag and dispose of it in your red lid general waste bin.
Never dispose of water, plants or animals from home aquariums and ponds within our local waterways or within your green lid garden vegetation bin.
If you have large quantities of Salvinia on your property or you have noticed it in local waterways, please contact Council on 02 4306 7900.
For further information please download the Salvinia Fact Sheet.
Bindii
The common Bindii (Soliva sessilis), also known as Bindi eye, is a common lawn weed encountered over the late Spring-Summer period. It’s native to South America and no doubt hitch hiked its way over here.
We have all done the Bindii dance at some point of our lives, and we don’t forget it. They end up covering our thongs, push bike tyres or any soft material that comes into contact with the ground - that is by design, the plant has developed this method to aid in the spread of its seed.
Bindii is an annual plant that begins germination in Autumn, slowly growing through Winter and producing seed in late Spring/Summer. This is when the plant begins to die off and the seeds mature from green to brown, the spikes harden and the seeds become loose within the rosette. When you step on them, they imbed into anything soft and are then carried away from the parent plant to reduce local crowding, extend their distribution and increase the chances of survival.
Bindii control
Control of Bindii can be approached several ways:
- Exclusion - by having a thick Buffalo lawn, the Bindii seeds cannot get the light they need to germinate. It also stops many other weeds from growing.
- Herbicide spraying regime - as Bindii germinates in Autumn, April/May is the perfect time to apply the first treatment of herbicide with a follow up one in July to get the plants that were slow to germinate. This also knocks out other flat leaf lawn weeds that will be germinating as well.
There are a few herbicides to choose from for Bindii control, some with Bindii as the label heading. Always read the label carefully and follow the instructions for the safest and best results. Also, keep an eye on the weather conditions (such as wind and rain). - Hand removal method – this can be labourious and is fine if you only have a light infestation or do not wish to use herbicides. July is about the right time to do it as it’s not too hot and the plants have not set seed yet.