Weeds

Council has legal obligation under Biosecurity Act 2019 (the Act) to control declared weeds on land we own or manage. From a management perspective, declared weeds are categorized into two classes – Class A and Class B.

Class A species are those which have very limited presence or no presence in the Municipality.  The primary objective for these weeds is to eradicate them.

Class B species are widespread in the Municipality. The primary management objective for these weeds is to control them.

However, there are species which are in Class A where wider infestation has recently occurred.  Some Class B species can also be eradicated after sustained efforts from all stakeholders.

Legal requirements

Management of weeds cost millions of dollars and it is not always entirely possible to eradicate weeds. We must understand one weed can be eradicated from a certain place for a certain period of time, but without continuous monitoring and follow up action, then its eradication cannot be  guaranteed. Shared responsibility is critical as it is the duty of every individual to eradicate and  maintain their property for weeds.

The Australian Government has declared that it is the legal responsibility of every land owner to manage their property effectively to to eradicate or otherwise contain the declared weeds within their boundary under the Act.

Sorell Council as a regulator has legal authority to inspect any property and issue weed notices to the land owner under the Act. If the weed infestations noted in Weed Notices are not brought under control within the defined time frame, then Council may issue a Requirement Notice under the Act.  Failure to comply with a Requirement Notice can result in an on the spot fine of up to $1,000.  Ongoing breaches of the Act may attract more significant penalties.

These weeds are often garden escapees that multiplied in the natural environment and have caused serious economic and environmental damage.

WONS are the top priority weeds for any local land manger due to their potential to cause significant impact and the associated difficulty to eradicate them once they are established.

These species are not yet declared but have the potential to become species of significant concern if not managed properly and timely.

We are currently working on a Weed Management Strategy to map out our next steps.  This will be available on this site when finalised.

With grant funding from the Tasmanian Weed Action Fund and in collaboration with Natural Resource Management Tasmania and expert consultants we held workshops in Dunalley on 5 April 2025 and Midway Point and Primrose Sands on 14 June 2025 where we provided landowners across the municipality with :

• Assistance with identifying invasive weeds (particularly serrated tussock)
• A detailed overview of timing, herbicide choice, frequency, and best management practices
• A live demonstration on the proper use of herbicide for effective control
• Expert advice on how to tackle infestations of serrated tussock on the land

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We regularly engage in managing weeds from our parks and reserves. Further, we also control weeds in the roadside based on the needs assessment undertaken by our Parks and Reserves crew.

Last year, we received a grant from the Weed Action Fund to help a number of landowners to manage targeted weeds. The Council requested expression of interest from landowners within LGA and based on grant eligibility, some of the landowners were granted a one time grant of $5000 to manage/control these weeds.

This year, another round of the Weed Action Fund grant has been implemented via a contractor to manage targeted weeds such as Gorse, Serrated Tussock and Chilean Needle Grass. Properties were identified where these weeds are causing serious impacts and property owners were contacted to liaise with the contractor to implement the control action.

We are continuously working to contain weeds that causes serious threat to our natural environment and livelihood of our communities. We understand managing weeds is a continuous process that involves our organisation, everyone in our community and many other stakeholders outside of our Municipality.

Local Community Action

We have highly enthusiastic and motivated local community groups that engages our local communities to manage weeds in their local area. These groups have been successful in controlling weeds within their community. These community groups run regular Working Bee that focuses on controlling weeds, removing litter and taking care of the natural environment.

If you are interested about understanding weeds and want to directly get involved in managing these obnoxious weeds, please reach out to us via NRM department or contact your local community groups – Southern Beaches Landcare/Coastcare Group, Marion Bay Coastcare Group, Friends of Blue Lagoon and Wildcare Friends of Pitt Water Orielton Lagoon.

Priority Weeds for Sorell Council:

All weeds affect many aspects of life and livelihood, such as agriculture, water quality, environment, aesthetic and human health. However, there are few weeds that are more invasive, dominant and poses more serious impacts to communities. Based on its invasiveness, impact, relative abundance and regional partnership, some of the species are priority weeds over other weeds in Sorell municipality.

• African Boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum)
• African love grass (Eragrostis curvula)
• Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus)
• Boneseeds (Chrysanthemoides monilifera)
• Bridal Creeper (Asparagus asparagoides)
• Chilean Needle Grass (Nassella neesiana)
• Gorse (Ulex europaeus)
• Serrated Tussock (​Nassella trichotoma)
• Spanish heath (​Erica lusitanica)

Principles of Weed Management

The Australian Weeds Strategy (AWS) 2017 – 2027 has outlined following seven principles that should underpin weed management in Australia and guide planning, investment and actions.

1) Effective weed management is a responsibility shared between landholders, community, industry and government.

2) Evidence-based decision-making should underpin the approach to weeds.

3) Risk-based prevention and early intervention is generally the most cost-effective approach for managing weeds.

4) Prioritisation of weed management must be informed by a risk based approach, considering feasibility, likelihood of success, impact and national significance.

5) Coordination amongst landholders, community, industry and government is necessary to manage weeds at a landscape scale.

6) Sustaining capability and capacity across landholders, community, industry and government is fundamental to effective weed management.

7) Individuals, organisations and industry groups that create risks that may result in a weed entering, emerging, establishing or spreading in Australia have a role in minimising the impacts and contributing to the costs of management.

We adopts the roles and responsibilities outlined in the AWS 2017 as below:

• Exercise statutory duties to encourage responsible weed management.
• Manage weed problems on our land in a responsible way, in co-operation with other landowners.
• Assist with the coordination of community weed management programs.
• Represent community interests in weed management.
• Support the activities of local groups undertaking weed management.
• Assist with data collection and information exchange.
• Develop and adopt ‘good neighbour’ policies, where appropriate, to help reduce the spread and impacts of high risk weed species.
• Support and build public awareness about weed issues.

Weed management depends on the presence, type, invasiveness and cost to management. However, if we act early and thoroughly we don’t need to be selective in managing these weeds. Prevention of any weed in an area is the best approach and early detection of species will help management reduce the cost significantly. However, the ideal condition is not always available thus, we have to work on stages for species based on the strategy.

It is very important that everyone is aware of these obnoxious weeds and report them as they see them.

One of the simplest way of reporting them is taking a picture and uploading them via iNaturalist. This is an app that can be downloaded on android devices via the Google Play Store or on Apple devices via the App Store.

Please click here to access the Sorell Council weed observation form