Biosecurity action at home

Article by Rhea Phelan, vector and pest plant officer, Sunshine Coast Council

When everyone takes biosecurity action at their place, it impacts our whole region.

The framework for managing invasive plants on the Sunshine Coast is set out in the Biosecurity Act 2014 and the Sunshine Coast Biosecurity Plan 2017. The plan prioritises 33 plants listed as restricted invasive plants under the Biosecurity Act 2014 for management as well as another 39 locally significant invasive plants. Invasive plants were prioritised based on their existing distribution on the Sunshine Coast, effective tools available for managing them and the potential risk to environment, agriculture, and economy if they were to spread further. While it is difficult to be familiar with all priority invasive plants the best thing you can do is if you are selling, giving away, planting or transporting plants that are not native to the area, is to consider the ecological and agricultural impacts they could have. Check to make sure they are not invasive and become familiar with high priority invasive plants. For more information on plants considered invasive in Queensland visit the Biosecurity Queensland website invasive plants | Business Queensland.

Under the Sunshine Coast biosecurity plan there are a few species that are on the eradicate list across all catchments. These are plants that you may not be that familiar with as they are not yet commonly found across the coast. This is only a list of plants that are on the eradicate lists for all catchments, each catchment has a couple of additional plants on its eradication list. For more information on priority plants for each of the 6 catchment areas found on the Sunshine Coast please have a look at the Sunshine Coast biosecurity plan 2017.

Weedy vines on the eradicate list

• Balloon vine (Cardiospermum grandiflorum)
• Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. Lobata syn P. lobtata, P. triloba)
• Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia spp. Other than native species)
• Sicklethorn (Asparagus falcatus)
• Thunbergia (Thunbergia grandiflora syn. T. laurifolia, T. fragrens).

Groundcovers, cacti, succulents and herbaceous plants on the eradicate list

• Dyschoriste (Dyschoriste depressa)
• Giant tropical salvia (Brillantaisia lamium)
• Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus)
• Fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis)
• Prickly pear (Opuntia stricta syn O.inermis)
• Satinleaf (Chrysophyllum oliviforme)
• Swordpear (Acanthocereus tetragonus).

Trees on the eradicate list

• Mexican bean tree (Cecropia pachystachya, C. palmata & C. peltata)
• Pond apple (Annona glabra)
• Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima).

Invasive grasses on the eradicate list

• Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris)
• Thatch grass (Hyparrhenia rufa subsp. r ufa)..

Invasive aquatic plants on the eradicate list

• Hymenachne (Hymenachne ampleicaulis and hybrids)
• Sagittaria (Sagittaria platyphylla)
• Senegal tea (Gymnocoronis spilanthoides).

If you have any of these plants listed as ‘eradicate’ on your property, please contact council at [email protected] or phone 5475 7272 for assistance with control options. Join the journey to protect our Sunshine Coast and commit to managing invasive plants at your place.