Join the War on Weeds
Environmental weeds are plants which are not from the local area and can be highly invasive. Many weeds are introduced from abroad or even from other parts of Australia, escaping from gardens and invading our local urban areas and bushland.
Impacts of Weeds
- Out compete native plants for water, nutrients, light and space, reducing the ability of native plants to survive alongside
- Grow and reproduce rapidly due to a lack of natural herbivores and diseases in a new environment (in their native environment these things would control the population naturally)
- Often weeds are not the right food source for the native animals and insects so affect the food chain and reduce food sources available
- Can create a high fuel loading due high abundance of weeds, particularly grassy weeds.
Types of Weeds in Melville
For a full list of weeds view our Natural Area Asset Management Plan.
Useful Weed Resources
- War on Weeds brochure - contains information on some of the more harmful weeds to be found in Melville. Hard copies are available from most City of Melville centres.
- Grow me instead website - contains information on weeds and alternatives to them for the gardening and nursery industry.
- Weeds of National Significance list.
Weed Management Practices
The City of Melville uses a number of techniques and strategies to control weeds for practical and effective long term outcomes, usually in combination, these include:
- Hand weeding
- Slashing/Brush cutting
- Herbicide application
- Injection of tree stumps.
Varying levels of weed control are carried out in bushland and foreshore reserves depending on their priority rating in the City's Natural Area Asset Management Plan.
For more information view or download the City's Weed Management Guidelines.
Annual Weed Control Program
Bushlands - Annual Weed Control Program
The City of Melville Bushland staff, with the assistance of qualified bushland contractors, undertakes herbicide control to manage annual and perennial weeds in the City’s natural area reserves.
- Appropriate signage will be displayed on vehicles and in strategic locations while works are in progress
- Staff and contractors will be using current Best Management Practices to avoid any off-target damage
- The inclusion of dyes with herbicides will be used to identify areas that have been treated.
Spraying Times and Locations
- Week commencing 9th July 2018 - Ern Stapleton Reserve, Wal Hughes Reserve, Piney Lakes Reserve (Bushland areas), Harry Stickland Reserve, Harry Sandon Reserve, Dudley Hartree Reserve, Al Richardson Reserve, Reg Bourke Reserve, Richard Lewis Reserve, Tom Firth, Rob Weir Reserve, Jeff Joseph Reserve and Bull Creek Reserve.
Reserves - Annual Weed Control Program
The City's reserves team, with the assistance of authorised spray contractors, undertake selective herbicide control to manage broadleaf weeds in the City’s Active and Passive reserves. The City’s road reserves are treated with a non-selective herbicide; this includes kerb lines, footpaths, medians, round-abouts and buffer zones.
During the course of our broadleaf weed control program (July to September each year, dependant on weather conditions), the following precautions are taken;
- Appropriate signage is displayed on vehicles and in strategic locations while works are in progress, stating the chemical name being used
- Staff and contractors use current Best Management Practice to avoid any off-target damage
- Spraying may take place outside of July to September, dependent on weed infestation and weather conditions.
Streetscapes - Annual Weed Control Program
During the course of our streetscapes weed control program (throughout the year dependant on weather conditions);
- Appropriate signage is displayed on vehicles while works are in progress, stating the chemical name being used
- Staff and contractors use current Best Management Practices to avoid any off-target damage
Spraying Times and Locations
The City's road reserve weed spraying contractor will be spraying the following locations was a glyphosate based product the week beginning Monday 16 July 2018, weather permitting.
- Citywide traffic islands
- Kerblines in Leeming, Bull Creek, Bateman, Mount Pleasant and Ardross.
Specific Herbicide Information
Specific herbicides used include:
- Targa, a grass specific herbicide, is used to target grass weeds such as Perennial Veldt Grass in bushlands
- Round Up® Biactive and Metsulfuron is used to target bulbous and spring growing weeds in bushlands
- Destiny is a selective turf herbicide that offers selective grass and broadleaf weed control. Provides control of hard to kill weeds
- Spearhead/Barricade, are broadleaf weed specific herbicides, used to target grass weeds such as Bindii, Clover, Capeweed in parks and reserves
- A glyphosate based herbicide is used to target annual and perennial weeds within streetscapes (kerblines & footpaths etc) and reserves
- Fusilade is a selective herbicide that controls perennial and annual grass weeds in landscaped areas
Before applying herbicide treatments, the City of Melville has considered the impact of control options on co-occurring native flora including trees, shrubs, geophytes, grasses and other native herbs and on fauna. The methods and chemical concentrations that we employ are considered Best Practice Management.
What Can You Do?
- Avoid planting weeds in your garden- use native plants instead
- Adhere to signage placed indicating weed control works
- Join an Environmental Friends Group in your local bushland reserves to remove weeds.
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