Weeds Regulation in the HRCC Districts
HRCC Obligations
Under the Biosecurity Act 2015, HRCC as the Local Control Authority for the cities of Hawkesbury, Blacktown, The Hills and Penrith, has a legal obligation to manage the biosecurity risk posed or likely to be posed by reducing the impacts of Priority Weeds on human health, the economy, community and environment.
These obligations are met through programs to:
- development of weed management programs and plans
- control Priority Weeds on Council managed lands; and
- inspect private lands to ensure that owners of land carry out their obligations to manage the Biosecurity Risk as imposed under the Act by controlling Priority Weeds.
HRCC Inspection Team is responsible for implementing these programs and takes a coordinated approach with residents, community groups and other agencies to control Priority Weeds on all lands in selected areas regardless of land tenure.
Your Obligations
Under Part 3 of the Biosecurity Act 2015, all land owners or land managers have a “General Biosecurity Duty” to prevent, eliminate or minimise the Biosecurity Risk posed or likely to be posed by Priority Weeds.
What Is Our Aim?
Our aim is to:
- Protect the environment and community by controlling Priority Weeds and raising awareness of the impact of weeds on bushland, swamps and creek lines. This is achieved through communication between Council’s Biosecurity Weed Officers and landholders, and through education about weeds and effective weed control techniques.
- Monitor the spread of Priority Weeds and report new incursions within the Hawkesbury River County Council Area.
What is a Priority Weed?
Priority Weeds have the potential to pose a Biosecurity Risk which is required to be controlled by law; this is the responsibility of all landholders. These are known as Biosecurity Matter under the Biosecurity Act 2015 in NSW.
Priority Weeds or Biosecurity Matter can impact on human health, the economy, the liveability of our cities and the environment. Impacts can include allergies and other health issues, costs of control, loss of tourism value, degradation of natural landscapes, parks and recreation facilities, reduction of useful agricultural land and loss of primary production, loss of biodiversity and water quality.
In New South Wales the Biosecurity Act 2015 is administered by the Minister for Primary Industries. The Act is implemented and enforced by the Local Control Authority (LCA) for the area, notionally local government.
The Greater Sydney Regional Strategic Weed Management Plan 2017 – 2022 which has been developed by Greater Sydney Local Land Services, outlines two categories of Priority Weeds;
- “State Priority Weeds”
- “Regional Priority Weeds”
The HRCC Local Weeds Plan also includes a category known as “Local Priority Weeds”. These a weeds which has also undertaken a Weed Risk Assessment process at a local level.