Mosaic Map: NRM funded projects
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site specific
region wide
Tackling Sydney’s weeds head on
Weeds are a growing menace to Sydney’s natural areas and native wildlife, and tackling an advancing threat that knows no boundary presents a mammoth task - but it’s one worth taking on.
The Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority (CMA) and four Sydney Weeds Committees have risen to the challenge and are taking a long-term approach to combating weeds by coordinating management within their region.
Funding
To help this endeavour, the Australian Government has provided the Sydney Metropolitan CMA with $450,000 in funding over the past few years. The State Government has also provided support.
Activities
Sydney Metropolitan CMA Weeds Project Officer, Rosanna Luca, said the funding helped a number of projects get off the ground.
“We developed a strategy to improve coordination between 38 local government areas in the region and to allocate resources over five years,” she said.
“Another project produced asthma weed removal kits, weed information displays, brochures, road signs and workshops to combat a growing problem in urban areas.”
The CMA has also allocated support to three national park regions to help control highly invasive alligator weed and ludwigia, which have the potential to spread along every creek, river and wetland in the region.
“Some of the funding will be used for controlling weeds in Lane Cove National Park and Wolli Creek Regional Park, and reducing several bitou bush infestations across Sydney,” Rosanna said.
“We’re also producing a range of educational resources that can be shared among local councils, to help them with their existing activities.”
Achievements
Rosanna said results from the various projects were already obvious.
“Alligator weed has been reduced by half in Yeramba Lagoon, helping native birds to breed there again – they’re no longer falling victim to foxes that were able to travel along thick weed matts,” she said.
“In Lane Cove River the infestations of alligator weed and ludwigia have been halved, as have the ludwigia infestations in Wirreanda Creek, Keirans Creek and Belrose.”
The level of awareness of council and State agency staff about weed management had improved and in parts of the community awareness of the impacts of weeds had grown as a result of the programme.
“We distributed thousands of Asthma Weed removal kits and flyers, and held displays at community festivals, fairs, markets and shopping centres,” she said.
More information
- Rosanna Luca, Sydney Metropolitan CMA: (02) 9895 7488 or rosanna.luca@cma.nsw.gov.au
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