Annual Weed Control Program (2020/2021)
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LOCAL COUNCIL ROADSIDES WEED CONTROL PROGRAM – 2020/2021 ANNUAL WEED CONTROL PROGRAM (2020/2021) PROGRAM PURPOSE The strategic purpose of the Program is as follows: a) Help protect the national interest in maintaining food, fodder and fiber production capacity of agricultural lands, and the conservation values of native vegetation. b) Assist in achieving weed biosecurity priorities and targets set out in national, state, and regional weed biosecurity strategic plans and programs, for high risk weed invasion pathways; c) Meet the general biosecurity duty applicable to the Local Council for weed control on roads or parts thereof under Part 3 and Schedule 1 Clause 3 of the Biosecurity Act 2015; and d) Achieve the roadside weed control requirements set out for the Local Council in the applicable General Biosecurity Direction issued under Section 126 of the Biosecurity Act 2015. SCOPE OF PROGRAM The Program applies to roads owned or occupied by the relevant Local Council of Bathurst Regional Council; Blayney Shire Council; Lithgow City Council; or Oberon Council the whole or part of each being within the County Council area of operations The Program involves the treatment of Priority Weeds listed in the ‘Weed Treatment Schedule’ and reporting of Priority Weeds listed in the Weed Reporting Schedule that are found within public roads and crown roads listed in the ‘Road Schedule’ (the Roadsides); applying herbicides and associated chemicals listed in the ‘Herbicides Schedule’; and applying methodologies and standards set out in the ‘Control Methodology Schedule’. Implementation of the Program is planned to commence on or about 1st November 2020 and to be finalised on or about 1st June 2021 (the Work Period). This is Page 1 of 8 of the Roadsides Weed Control Program – Upper Macquarie County Area of Operations – Approved by the LCA under Section 371 of the Biosecurity Act 2015 NSW. LOCAL COUNCIL ROADSIDES WEED CONTROL PROGRAM – 2020/2021 SCHEME OF BIOSECURITY OPERATIONS A. Weed Treatment Schedule The target Priority Weeds for treatment within the Local Council area are those identified in the NSW Government’s Central Tablelands - Regional Weed Strategy as being high-risk invasive weeds and are accordingly listed as Priority Weeds for control. The specific regional Priority Weeds (for asset protection) for treatment under the Program are the eight (8) most common Priority Weeds found in the County Council area of operations being: • Blackberry. • Serrated Tussock. • St John’s Wort. • English Broom. • Cape Broom. • Gorse. • Chilean Needle Grass. • African Boxthorn. Other Priority Weeds found during the Program may also be concurrently treated where conditions are suitable. The target local Weeds (of community concern) for selective treatment under the Program that may also be concurrently treated where conditions are suitable are the three (3) Weeds as follows: • Sweet Briar. • Nodding Thistle. • African Love Grass. B. Weed Reporting Schedule The target Priority Weeds (for containment and/or exclusion) for reporting to the Local Control Authority (not for initial treatment) within the Local Council area are those identified in the NSW Government’s Central Tablelands - Regional Weed Strategy as being high-risk invasive weeds are: • Sticky Nightshade. • Coolatai Grass. • Mexican Feather Grass. The presence or suspected presence of any of these weeds are to be noted and details reported promptly to the local Weeds Biosecurity Officer or the Chief Weeds Biosecurity Officer for attention. C. Herbicides Schedule The County Council and its agents will only use herbicides and associated chemicals of the kind listed in its current Pesticides Use Notification Plan prepared under Part 5, Division 2 of the Pesticides Regulation (2017). Those key herbicides and associated chemicals that may be used by the County Council (with an emphasis on active ingredient rather than brand name) are as follows: This is Page 2 of 8 of the Roadsides Weed Control Program – Upper Macquarie County Area of Operations – Approved by the LCA under Section 371 of the Biosecurity Act 2015 NSW. LOCAL COUNCIL ROADSIDES WEED CONTROL PROGRAM – 2020/2021 • Flupropanate (e.g. Taskforce; Rambo; etc) • Metsulfuron (e.g. Ken-Met; Brushoff; etc) • Glyphosate (e.g. Ken-Up; Roundup; etc) (only in special cases) • Triclopyr & Picloram (e.g. Ken-zon; Grazon; etc) • MCPA (e.g. MCPA 750 etc) (only in special cases) • Clopyralid (Lontrel; etc) (only in special cases) • Red Marker Dye (e.g. Herbidye; etc) • Canola Oil (e.g. Chemtrol; ProCan Oil; etc) D. Control Methodology Schedule The County Council and its agents will implement the Program in accordance with the following principles and standards: a. The Program is based on the measured and targeted use of mainly selective herbicides (and associated chemical application enhancers) to minimise off-target impacts. b. Only herbicides that are registered products approved for use for the intended purpose by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). Accordingly all herbicides will be used and always strictly according to LABEL requirements and not otherwise. c. All persons applying herbicides will have a Ground Applicator Licence issued by the NSW EPA under the NSW Pesticides Regulation (2017) and will also have completed a ChemCert AQF-3 Chemical Accreditation course. d. The persons implementing the program will be a combination of Biosecurity Officers (mainly for spot treatments and isolated follow-up treatments) and experienced qualified and proven Contractors (for the main body of work). e. The annual treatment program will be applied cognisant of the contents of relevant Safety Data Sheets as required by NSW Work Health & Safety Regulations. f. The delivery timing of the program will endeavour to optimise control efforts that will prevent target weed plants seeding in the current season. g. The delivery work priority will be on the basis of treating roads or parts thereof that are recognised as significant high risk weed invasion pathways, and for those roads follow-up treatment in a timely manner following initial treatment is important. h. Heavily weed infested areas, where treatment could expose the site to serious erosion will not be treated, instead such sites will be referred to the Local Council for a coordinated holistic solution. i. Chemical application techniques will focus on hand-held spot spraying using appropriate selective herbicides. Boom-spraying techniques will NOT usually be used within roadside areas that contain remnant native vegetation or where such broad area treatment might result in soil erosion. j. The chemical application devices to be used will comprise any one or This is Page 3 of 8 of the Roadsides Weed Control Program – Upper Macquarie County Area of Operations – Approved by the LCA under Section 371 of the Biosecurity Act 2015 NSW. LOCAL COUNCIL ROADSIDES WEED CONTROL PROGRAM – 2020/2021 more of hand-held or hand controlled devices - such as drone mounted or vehicle mounted or backpack sprayers. k. To reduce the spread of weed fragments and seed, no vehicle mounted mechanical slashing of vegetation or earth disturbing weed control techniques will be used within roadside areas. Where appropriate hand- held mechanical slashing may be used by exception to destroy or break down large otherwise impenetrable and high standing monocultures of priority weeds (e.g. Blackberry). l. Cut and paint hand techniques are considered impractical and uneconomic, and will only be used by exception to target isolated woody weeds. m. To improve the period of effectiveness from weed control efforts, it will be standard practice to consider the first years treatment as the primary control with routine follow-up treatment the following year to address any surviving or re-emerging weeds. n. Where weed control is required within highly sensitive conservation areas, the Local Council will need to engage specialist environmental weed controllers themselves – outside this Program. This is Page 4 of 8 of the Roadsides Weed Control Program – Upper Macquarie County Area of Operations – Approved by the LCA under Section 371 of the Biosecurity Act 2015 NSW. LOCAL COUNCIL ROADSIDES WEED CONTROL PROGRAM – 2020/2021 E. Road Schedules The roads included herein for weed control treatment include roads that require full treatment and other roads that are only partially weed infested and/ or roads that require additional follow-up treatments following regrowth from previous control programs. Priority Weeds are to be treated on the roads or parts of roads within the Local Council area (in so far as available resources permit) as follows: UMCC Constituent Road Other Road Name Risk Work Priority Council Length ownership Rating Bathurst Dog Rocks Rd 24.6 4 High Pt BX & OB Bathurst Evans Plains Rd 5.0 4 High Bathurst Marys Ln 1.1 4 High Bathurst The bridle Track Rd (part) 60.0 3 Medium Bathurst Howards Dr 3.0 3 Medium Bathurst Arrow Ln 1.0 3 Medium Bathurst Great Western Highway 70.0 3 Medium Pt BX & LT Bathurst O`Connell Rd 40.0 3 Medium Pt BX & OB Bathurst Barnetts Rd 2.8 3 Medium Bathurst Bathampton Rd 7.0 3 Medium Bathurst Bidgeribbin Rd 3.0 3 Medium Bathurst Box Ridge Rd 17.0 3 Medium Bathurst Broken Bridge Rd 2.0 3 Medium Bathurst Church Gully 1.0 3 Medium Bathurst Frys Ln 1.3 3 Medium Bathurst Mersing Rd 3.2 3 Medium Bathurst Pine Ridge Rd 4.3 3 Medium Bathurst Ryans Rd 4.6 3 Medium Bathurst Trunkey Rd 47.1 3 Medium Bathurst Wimbledon Rd 14.6 3 Medium Bathurst Yarras Ln 3.1 3 Medium Bathurst Yetholme Dr 5.5 3 Medium Bathurst Hill End Rd 34.7 3 Medium Bathurst Sofala Rd 40.4 3 Medium Bathurst Ophir Rd 25.0 3 Medium Gemalla Scout Camp Rd 0.5 3 Medium 422 This is Page 5 of 8 of the Roadsides Weed Control Program – Upper Macquarie County Area of Operations – Approved by the LCA under Section 371 of the Biosecurity Act 2015 NSW.