Weeds in Australia

Grants and Government

Defeating the Weed Menace programme

Defeating the Weed Menace programme

The Australian Government has committed $44.4 million over 4 years, from 2004-05 to 2007-08, for national action on Australia's most threatening weeds, through the Defeating the Weed Menace (DWM) programme.

The DWM programme is targeted at:

The DWM is jointly managed by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEW). A National Weeds Advisory Group has been established to advise the Australian Government on the management and direction of this programme.

Achievements of the on ground programmes and projects include eradication, control or containment of weed infestations and reduced impact of weeds through actions such as the breeding and dispersal of biological control agents. The projects have a cross-regional focus which leads to long term benefits and improved coordination of weed control across administrative boundaries.

Good science is imperative in tackling weeds in an efficient and cost effective manner. The Australian Government has supported weeds research through the DWM programme. In addition to providing funding for research and development projects through the public grant round, DWM has also provided $5.4 million to Land and Water Australia  to provide for targeted research and development projects.

Important research and development supported by DWM has included development of biological control agents for weeds, research into efficient weed control tools and techniques, and an improvement in the information base needed to understand and effectively tackle weed problems.

The DWM programme has enhanced national coordination of weed management through funding for the National Weeds Management Facilitator and the National Weeds Awareness Coordinator and a team of WONS Coordinators. Under the guidance of their WONS taskforce, Coordinators have worked to achieve the vital outcomes of:

As a result of this work there has been an increase in collaborative weed management of the weeds of national significance in Australia, and the establishment of systems that will continue to improve the control of the species. For example the publication of best practice management guides for WONS has enabled farmers, landholders and others to take action to manage weeds on their properties with the knowledge that they have scientifically proven methodology at their fingertips.

The grants component of the programme has provided 174 grants with an investment of around $24 million. This investment, when combined with matching contributions from state and territory governments, NRM regions and other interested parties, means that over $50 million has been invested in weed management activities.

The major communications component of the DWM programme is the Community and Industry and Community Engagement Plan (CIEP). The CIEP was launched in spring 2007 and targets peri-urban areas to raise community awareness of weeds as an issue. The key message of the campaign is what is safe to plant in one area of Australia can be an environmental disaster in another area. Therefore it is important to check which plants are appropriate to your area, remove problem plants and dispose of garden waste carefully.

Preventing new weeds from entering and spreading in Australia has been a key focus of the programme. DWM funded a review of the Permitted Seed List. This List, which is an instrument under the Quarantine Act 1908, now prevents entry into Australia of plants whose weediness potential is unknown.

The Australian Government has worked with state and territory governments to revise the Australian Weeds Strategy which provides a strategic framework for consistent guidance to minimise the impact of weeds on Australia's environmental, economic, and social assets. The goals of the strategy are: to prevent new weed problems; reduce the impact of existing priority weeds; and enhance Australia's capacity and commitments to solve weed problems. DWM has contributed funding towards the revision of the Australian Weeds Strategy.

DWM has funded the Nursery and Garden Industry Australia project. The project aims to increase the capacity of the industry to work with the community for better plant choices through retail communication kits, establishing the Grow Me Instead campaign and training on invasive plants for industry members.

DWM has funded a number of national projects to improve information and systems for weed management that are currently underway. These include:

National Weeds Advisory Group (NWAG)

The National Weeds Advisory Group (NWAG) guides the Australian Government in the management and direction of the Defeating the Weed Menace programme, and provides advice, as requested, on national weed issues in Australia including:

The NWAG comprises representatives from:

The National Weeds Advisory Group is chaired by Mr John Cotter. Correspondence to the National Weeds Advisory Group can be directed to the Secretariat:

Secretariat - National Weeds Advisory Group
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
PO Box 858
Canberra ACT 2601

The Community and Industry Engagement Plan (CIEP)

The major communications component of the Defeating the Weed Menace programme is the Community and Industry Engagement Plan (CIEP).

CIEP is designed to raise awareness of weeds as one of our most significant environmental issues. The CIEP is focused on ensuring coordinated information is available for industry and peri-urban communities, highlighting the impact of weeds on the Australian environment, primary industries and the economy, and the role of individuals in preventing the spread of weeds.

The CIEP primarily targets:

  1. The broad community, focusing on home gardeners and hobby farmers in peri-urban areas.
  2. The garden, nursery and landscape industry and other weed management stakeholders, including government environment and primary industry departments, land owners and managers, corridor managers (e.g. utilities oil and gas companies, telecommunications, road and rail), transportation and natural resource management regional bodies. There will be an emphasis on stakeholder liaison and management, information provision and capacity building.

Most elements of the CIEP will be implemented from September 2007 to December 2007. Key aspects of CIEP are:

Summary of key messages of the CIEP:

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