People who regularly spend time outdoors can play a very important role in protecting the environment against potentially devastating weeds.

Anyone working outdoors on farms, properties, parks, roads and waterways, as well as recreational enthusiasts can help in the early detection of Australia's major weed threats. Activities such as fishing, boating, bushwalking, bird watching, four wheel driving and camping all have the potential for spreading weed seeds.

The Weeds of National Significance (WoNS) program targets Australia's worst weeds for strategic national management to reduce impacts to biodiversity, agriculture, recreation and the economy.

Most WoNS are species that could be found by people in pursuit of their recreational pastimes. Not only may these weeds be seen, there is a very real possibility that they may be spread via seed movement when people return home or venture further afield to new locations.

As a major natural resource management issue, weeds are estimated to cost the Australian economy more than $4 billion annually.

We need your help to step up the fight against weeds.

Much work has been done to define the distribution of the WoNS, and to target resources and control works to those strategic areas where they will have the greatest impact. However, there is always the ongoing risk of new weed incursions in areas thought to be weed-free.

The most cost-effective investment of resources in weed management is in prevention and early detection. Ensuring new outbreaks are found early and treated straight away can prevent the weed expanding to an extent that is physically and economically difficult to manage.

Public awareness is a critical link to early detection – getting more people on the job keeping an eye out for weeds.

While you are looking out for weeds, also keep an eye out for signs of myrtle rust ? a serious plant fungal disease now in Queensland.

Be sure to avoid contact with any of yellow spores on plants and adopt a 'come clean, go clean' approach when visiting natural areas including public parks, reserves and gardens.

Being aware of potentially damaging weeds and plant diseases and taking appropriate precautions can help protect our environment.

What's weed awareness?

Weed awareness is about contributing to the long-term accessibility of your favourite patch of bush, beach or river for your chosen pastime. For instance, a small patch of hymenachne (Hymenachne amplexicaulis) or cabomba (Cabomba caroliniana) could choke out a wetland if left unchecked, and barramundi at Cape York or Gulf of Carpentaria waterholes could be heavily affected.

Hymenachne infestation

Similarly, your favourite estuary for catching mud crab could become overgrown with pond apple (Annona glabra) without detection and early prevention. It is one of the few weeds capable of invading intact ecosystems and can transform mangrove communities into pond apple monocultures.

Pond apple infestation

Floating aquatic weeds such as salvinia can be the most destructive aquatic weeds of all. Salvinia has prolific growth rates and when left unchecked they can form dense floating mats, which will cover the entire water surface in the space of just weeks. Salvinia can cause watercourses used for recreational pastimes such as swimming and boating to become unusable.

Aquatic weed infestation, such as Salvinia

Giant Sensitive Tree (Mimosa pigra) is another WoNS which has devastating impacts on wetlands in northern Australia. It is a major problem in the Northern Territory where it is the focus of significant control programs. Giant sensitive tree is presently known to occur at only one location in Queensland (near Proserpine) but it has the potential to establish in many other areas.

Giant Sensitive Tree

These five WoNS all like water and are likely to occur in areas where people like to go to indulge their water-based recreational pursuits. Fishermen, campers, bushwalkers, bird watchers and four wheel drivers are all likely candidates to come into contact with one or more of these WoNS.

What can you do?

A quick phone call or email is all it takes. To report a suspected sighting, call your local council or Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23. You can also visit www.weeds.org.au to find contact details for the relevant WoNS coordinator.

If you can take a photo with a digital camera or mobile phone, that will help WoNS coordinators make a positive identification. A coordinate taken with a GPS device would help weed officers locate your find.

There are some simple steps everyone can take to reduce the risk of spreading weeds:

• Make a quick phone call to the relevant local council or visit Weeds Australia (www.weeds.org.au) before leaving home to find out about weed threats in the area you are heading to.

• Staying on established roads and tracks when driving or walking.

• Remove any plant material from boats, boat trailers and fishing equipment such as nets before moving to other locations or returning home.

• Clean vehicles of mud and plant material at wash down stations (many local councils operate such facilities) or before leaving the general vicinity.

About the WoNS program

The WoNS program has successfully brought together community groups, industries and all levels of government to combat the problems posed by Australia's worst weeds.

The Australian Government has supported the program by funding national WoNS coordinators who are located all around Australia to coordinate priority strategic actions for the WoNS. Funding has been made available by the Australian Government through initiatives such as Caring For Our Country for on-ground works on WoNS. In turn, much effort and many resources have been spent by local, State and Territory governments and community groups such as natural resource management bodies and Landcare groups.

We welcome your help with WoNS!

Media: Louisa McKerrow 0419 781 530

Feature Article

Waging war on weeds

15 July 2011

By Biosecurity Queensland National Hymenachne/Pond Apple Coordinator, Craig Magnussen