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Priority invasive plants

Learn more about the region's invasive plants identified as priorities in our Biosecurity Plan.

Our Biosecurity Plan presents the priority invasive plants for the Sunshine Coast. These were determined by assessing all invasive species impacting or threatening our region. For each species several factors were considered such as:

  • if listed in the Biosecurity Act (the Act)
  • potential impacts
  • locations and how widespread
  • ease of spread
  • availability, effectiveness and cost of control measures.

To help focus weed management efforts and resources, each priority species has an identified management objective. Reasonable and practical measures to achieve each of these management objectives are included in the plan.

To find out what your obligations are for each priority weed species download the Sunshine Coast Biosecurity Plan 2024 fact sheet (PDF, 418KB)

Priority invasive plants by management objective

Prevention

Prevention

These species are not currently found on the Sunshine Coast. If these species became established, they could result in significant impacts. It is important for land managers to prevent the entry and establishment of these species.

Species ‘Prohibited’ under the Act (must be reported to Biosecurity Queensland):

Species 'Restricted' under the Act (please report to Council):

Eradication

Eradication

These species are present in low numbers and found in only a few locations on the Sunshine Coast. However, if they spread further, they will cause significant impacts. Elimination of these species is achievable for land managers.

Species ‘Prohibited’ under the Act (must be reported to Biosecurity Queensland):

  • Cholla cactus (prohibited) - all Cylindropuntia spp. and hybrids (other than C.fulgida, C. imbricata, C. prolifera, C. rosea, C. spinosior and C. tunicata) 
  • Prickly pears (prohibited) - all Opuntia spp. (other than O. monacantha, O. aurantiaca, O. tomentosa, O. streptacantha, O. microdasys, O. elata, O. stricta and O. ficus-indica)

Species 'Restricted' under the Act (please report to Council):

Containment

Containment

These species are found in parts of the Sunshine Coast but not everywhere. Where they do occur, they cause notable impacts. Land managers should reduce the impact of these species and stop their spread across the landscape.

Species ‘Restricted’ under the Act:

Asset Protection

Asset Protection

These species occur across the whole of the Sunshine Coast. They cause some impacts where they occur. These species should be managed when they threaten or impact high-value assets. This may include important environmental, agriculture, or community areas.

Species ‘Restricted’ under the Act:

Alert

Alert

These species are not well established on the Sunshine Coast. They are not listed in the Act but can still cause impacts where they occur. It is recommended land managers take action to prevent entry of these species and control them if they are found.

  • Amazonian Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) 
  • Hiptage (Hiptage benghalensis) 
  • Yellow or Mexican waterlily (Nymphaea mexicana)

Locally Significant

Locally Significant

These species are often relatively widespread across the Sunshine Coast. They are not listed in the Act but can cause impacts where they occur. It is recommended land managers take action to control and prevent the spread of these species when they are impacting or threatening high value natural areas.  

Pest plant surveillance program

Council has resolved to conduct a biosecurity program - The Surveillance Program (PDF, 194KB) in accordance with section 235 of the Biosecurity Act 2014, within the whole of the Sunshine Coast region to educate, monitor or issue biosecurity orders in relation to invasive biosecurity matter (prohibited or restricted invasive plants).

The Biosecurity Surveillance Program will take place across all properties in the Sunshine Coast Council area, including Council-owned land. This supports the goals of the Sunshine Coast Council Biosecurity Plan 2024, which aims to reduce the environmental, social, and economic damage caused by invasive plants in our region.

Areas Covered by the Program

Council officers will focus on areas where invasive plants have been found before—especially in upper catchment areas and suburbs near places already surveyed in past programs. This helps continue the work already done to control these plants.

The following suburbs will be a priority for inspections to check for invasive plants:

Bald Knob, Balmoral Ridge, Beerwah, Bells Creek, Cooloolabin, Crohamhurst, Diamond Valley, Doonan, Dulong, Eumundi, Flaxton, Hunchy, Kiamba, Maleny, Montville, Mt Mellum, North Arm, Obi Obi, Peachester, Reesville, Verrierdale.

Council will also inspect properties that were previously known to have invasive plants, to make sure they are still being managed properly. Inspections may happen on any land within the Sunshine Coast Council area, no matter the size or type of property.

Sunshine Coast Council has been running surveillance programs for many years. These programs involve Council officers visiting thousands of properties to check for invasive plants and help landholders manage them.

To keep managing harmful plants like rat’s tail grasses (Sporobolus species) and groundsel bush (Baccharis halimifolia)—which are restricted—we need to continue these inspections and encourage landholders to stay active.

At the start of the program, Council provides education about:

  • the impacts of invasive plants
  • how to control them
  • access to weed control tools and equipment.

The biosecurity program will commence 12 September 2025 and will continue until 11 September 2029.

The purpose and scope for the program is:

  1. monitoring compliance with the Act in relation to a particular matter to which the Act applies
  2. confirming the presence, or finding out the extent of the presence, in the State or the parts of the State to which the program applies, of the biosecurity matter to which the program relates
  3. confirming the absence, in the State or the parts of the State to which the program applies, of the biosecurity matter to which the program relates
  4. monitoring the effects of measures taken in response to a biosecurity risk
  5. monitoring compliance with requirements about prohibited matter or restricted matter
  6. monitoring levels of biosecurity matter or levels of biosecurity matter in a carrier.

These inspections will be conducted on urban and rural properties within the Sunshine Coast.

A copy of the 12 September 2022 to 11 September 2025 program can be viewed in the minutes of council's Ordinary Meeting of 25 August 2022. Or a copy of the upcoming program 12 September 2025 to 11 September 2029 program can be viewed here.

For more information please contact council.