The invasion and spread of environmental weeds is one of the biggest threats to biodiversity across northern Australia. Most of our invasive weeds are not native plants but exotic species. They have been introduced from other countries either intentionally or by accident.
The Northern Territory Government still allows, and indeed promotes the planting of exotic grass species for pasture feed. This is despite the fact that these weeds are changing fire regimes, choking rivers and wetlands and crowding out native vegetation and also despite the fact that the Northern Territory Government, and other governments around Australia are spending millions of dollars on environmental weed control to prevent impacts on biodiversity and productivity of existing industries.
noxious weed Hymenachme
The picture above shows the spread of the noxious weed Hymenachme. The Northern Territory Government recently (October 2000) refused to prevent the sale of Hymenachme as a pasture grass, thereby preventing national action to ban trade of noxious weeds.
To send an email to the Northern Territory Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries to tell him to stop allowing the sale and planting of weeds click here
The Environment Centre’s Weeds Guide
The Environment Centre NT has produced an excellent guide to assist in the identification and control of weeds across Northern Australia. Over 2000 copies of this publication have been distributed to land managers across Northern Australia.
The guide: ‘Weeds of Natural Ecosystems: A field guide to environmental weeds of the Northern Territory, Australia’ is available for purchase from the Environment Centre for $16.50 including GST.
E-mail us to order for the weeds guide now!
Weeds of Natural Ecosystems: A field guide to environmental weeds of the Northern Territory, Australia
Weeds Swaps
The Environment Centre also holds occasional ‘Weeds Swaps’.
These are weeks in which the public can swap a weed for a native plant.
Contact the Environment Centre for details of our next Weeds Swap.