Weeds are plants growing where they do not belong, such as in natural bushland, waterways or your garden.
As a private landowner you have a legal responsibility to control weeds on your property.
Under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994(CaLP Act), all land owners are legally required to manage declared noxious weeds and pest animals on their land. This means land owners must take all reasonable steps to:
There are several invasive plants that have spread across our region. These plants include:
These plants are very invasive and compete with the native vegetation.
Apart from the legislative requirement to control noxious weeds, it is beneficial because weeds are:
There are four levels of noxious weeds identified in the CaLP Act. Each has its own requirements for landholders.
The categories are:
View a consolidated lists of declared noxious weeds (Agriculture Victoria)
Agriculture Victoria are the authorised body under the CaLP Act for enforcement action on landholders who fail to meet their legal obligation to control declared weeds and pest animals.
Have a friendly chat with your neighbour about how you can work together to control weeds. If neighbourly negotiation is not possible, Agriculture Victoria are the authorised body under the CaLP Act for enforcement action on landholders who fail to meet their legal obligation to control declared weeds and pest animals.
Please note, local government has no enforcement powers with respect to noxious weed control on private property, however if a property is dangerous or unsightly you can report this for Council to investigate.
Council has an annual weed control programs which aims to enhance the biodiversity values of the municipalities roadsides and manages fire risk, which in turn reduces the spread of noxious weeds.
Residents are advised not to undertake weed control on roadsides unless a permit for environmental works is approved.
Report weeds on Council land
Agriculture Victoria provides a range of online resources on weed management.
Each Catchment Management Authority also has its own list of priority weed species. These lists are used to determine allocation of funding and resources regarding weed control.