Impacts of weeds in Australia
Weeds threaten our environment, primary production industries, community and shared spaces. They can damage our natural landscapes, agricultural lands, waterways and coastal areas by displacing native species, contributing to land degradation and reducing farm and forest productivity. Australia spends considerable time and money managing weeds to protect ecosystems and primary production.
How can we help?
Weeds are a problem for everyone – we can all take action to help minimise the environmental, economic and social impacts of weeds. Visit Weeds Australia for information on managing invasive weeds in Australia.
We can help stop the spread of weeds and plant pathogens with good hygiene practices. Our shoes, clothes, tools and vehicles can carry weed seeds and other materials as we move between sites.
We can Arrive Clean, Leave Clean – see the guidelines to help prevent the spread of invasive plant diseases and weeds threatening our native plants, animals and ecosystems
We can choose safe plants for our gardens that will not escape into bushland and become invasive. Visit Grow Me Instead.
Australian Government
Threat abatement plans provide for the research, management, and any other actions necessary to reduce the impact of a listed key threatening process on native species and ecological communities. Implementing the plan should assist the long-term survival in the wild of affected native species or ecological communities.
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act documents
Threat Abatement Plan
Key Threatening Process
- Invasion of northern Australia by Gamba Grass and other introduced grasses
- Loss and degradation of native plant and animal habitat by invasion of escaped garden plants, including aquatic plants
Threat Abatement Advice
- Ecosystem degradation, habitat loss and species decline in arid and semi-arid Australia due to the invasion of buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris and C. pennisetiformis)
- Invasive pasture grasses in northern Australia - gamba grass, para grass, olive hymenachne, perennial mission grass and annual mission grass
- Loss and degradation of native plant and animal habitat by invasion of escaped garden plants, including aquatic plants
Resources
Visit Weeds Australia for information on managing invasive weeds in Australia.