The Weed Society of Victoria
Leycesteria formosa

Leycesteria formosa

News

Merri Creek Weed Walk

The Weeds Society of Victoria, in conjunction with the Merri Creek Management Committee, Hume City Council, Darebin City Council and Melbourne Water are holding a Weed Walk at Merri Creek as part of Weed Buster Week.

If you would like to see how this linear reserve has been managed by all these organisations, and how the weeds have been controlled, join us at Merri Creek on Tuesday 2nd September 2008.  Please fill in the form and post to the Secretary.

2008 Most Weed-wise Nursery in Australia Competition

Date Published 20/5/2008

The Council of Australasian Weed Science Societies (CAWS) invites nominations for the 2008 Most Weed-wise Nursery in Australia Competition.

The 2007 winners were Bulleen Art and Garden.

The competition is endorsed by the Nursery and Garden Industry Australia, and by Sustainable Gardening Australia.

For more details about the award, have a look at the selection criteria.

Committee Nominations

Date Published: 7/12/2007

Nominations to join the 2008 Executive Committee for the Weed Society of Victoria Inc are open. All positions are vacant and nominations are required for the AGM which will be held on 17 April 2008.

Download a Committee Nomination form.

For membership enquiries, go to the Weed Society of Victoria's Membership Page.

New events announced for 2008

Date Published: 7/12/2007

The Weed Society of Victoria has announced its 42nd AGM and seminar in April 2008.

Head over to the Meetings and Functions page for more information and to download registration forms.

Membership form online

Date Published: 7/12/2007

Download the Membership Form (pdf) here.

Award for Outstanding Contributions

Date Published: 7/12/2007

Nominations for the 2007 Award for an outstanding contribution to weed management in Victoria are open. Entries close 3 March 2008. Download the nomination form (Word doc).

Weedscene Online

Date Published: 1/11/2005

The archive of the newsletter of the Weed Society of Victoria, Weedscene, is now available online. Click on an edition below:

Name Change for Society

Date Published: Unknown

After being known as the Weed Science Society of Victoria for 35 years members at the recent Annual General Meeting voted to change the name of the Society to the Weed Society of Victoria. Arguments were put forward that the former name no longer matched the current objectives of the Society. Members suggested that by deleting the word science the Society would be able to attract a wider membership base. This to would more accurately reflect the role of the society that encompasses a range of activities far wider than purely weed science.

There are now no weed societies in Australia with the word science in their names and the umbrella organization, the Council of Australasian Weed Societies (CAWS), also deleted the word science from its name to reflect this. The local weed societies are The Weed Society of New South Wales (Inc), The Weed Society of Queensland (Inc), The Weed Management Society of South Australia, The Weed Society of Western Australia (Inc) and the Tasmanian Weed Society (Inc)

Can Australian Native Plants be Weeds? How big is the problem?

Date: 2/3/2001

Can Australian natives be weeds?

"Oh yes they can!" was the resounding voice from this seminar held at Monash University in Melbourne on 22nd February 2001. Speakers illustrated the increasing number of Australian native plants that have spread beyond their natural range within Australia and overseas to become invasive in areas where they don't normally exist.

Outgoing President of the Weed Society of Victoria, Kelly Raymond, was impressed with the attendance of 130 people from southern Australia and New Zealand. "It demonstrates the strong interest in environmental weeds and the complex area of natives as weeds. The Society wanted to organise this seminar to highlight the need for further research and awareness", said Raymond.

Eminent weed scientist, Dr Richard Groves from CSIRO and the Weeds Cooperative Research Centre (Weeds CRC) carefully defined the difference between native and indigenous plants. "The Oxford Dictionary defines 'native' as the place or country in which you were born, and 'indigenous' as native to the soil region etc. A plant may be indigenous to a wet gully and native to SE Australia, or indigenous to the Dandenong Ranges and native to Australia", said Groves. The line at which a plant stops being indigenous and starts being a weed was often difficult to define.

Fluctuations in indigenous populations makes the issue even more complex. An example is Leptospermum laevigatum (coast tea-tree) at Wilsons Promontory National Park where the lack of bushfires has lead to Leptospermum overtaking other indigenous plants. Although it is indigenous to the Prom, it is no longer in balance.

An example of a weedy native beyond its natural range is sweet pittosporum (Pittosporum undulatum) which is destroying bushland remnants west of Westernport Bay in Victoria. Trudi Mullett of the Weeds CRC and CSIRO in Canberra highlighted the reasons for sweet pittosporum becoming arguably the most successful 'native' weed in SE Australia. "It is so successful because it has been planted widely as an ornamental tree, its fruit are dispersed by birds and other animals, fire regimes have changed allowing it to survive in areas previously burnt regularly, and it is highly adaptable", says Mullett. It increases plant competition, shading and soil moisture, which leads to the loss of local indigenous plants and animals.

The 'top 20' list of weedy Australian native plants in Victoria by Geoff Carr of Ecology Australia was an eye opener. Many of our favourite garden plants featured on the list. It includes eight wattles (including Acacia baileyana), three Hakea species, Kunzea ericoides (burgan), Leptospermum laevigatum (coast tea-tree), three Melaleuca species, Paraserianthes lophantha (cape wattle), Pittosporum undulatum (sweet pittosporum), and Sollya heterophylla (bluebell creeper). "Some natives and exotics are hybridising with local indigenous plants changing the genetic make-up of indigenous species", said Carr.

Ranger Scott Coutts from Parks Victoria on the Mornington Peninsula south of Melbourne was not surprised that 18 of his 20 worst invasive natives were on Geoff Carr's list of the 20 worst in Victoria. Coutts outlined the extensive management of such weeds on the Peninsula and highlighted the difficulty of controlling weeds such as the golden wreath wattle (Acacia saligna) from WA. "It is difficult to control because it suckers as well as producing seeds", said Coutts.

Jolyon Burnett, CEO of NIAA, spoke of nursery industry initiatives regarding invasive garden plants and highlighted a new national program for the industry called 'Flora for Fauna' which aims to promote native plants for gardens to encourage wildlife.

Author of 'Feral Future', Tim Low, discussed the many Australian native plants that have become weeds overseas in places such as South Africa and the Florida Everglades in the USA. Low encouraged vigilance to predict and watch for sleeper or future weeds.

The Seminar was the launching place of a new publication called 'Plants of importance to Australia - a checklist'. This book lists over 12, 000 common names of plants of importance to Australia including weeds. Editors Ros Shepherd, Rob Richardson and Fiona Richardson were all present at the seminar and were delighted to see the book released. Contact publishers RG and FJ Richardson at richardson@weedinfo.com.au or visit www.weedinfo.com.au for more information.

More information on the Seminar and proceedings is available from the Weed Society of Victoria Secretary at secwssv@surf.net.au or on 03 9576 2949.

Media assistance: Kate Blood.

Return to the top.