Our Responsibilities
What we do?
Central Tablelands Weeds Authority works with a wide range of stakeholders to combat the spread of targeted weeds within its local control area. The local control area consists of the local government areas of Bathurst Regional, Blayney Shire, Lithgow City, and Oberon Councils. As the local control authority CTWA is responsible for administering the Biosecurity Act 2015 for weeds in the region.
Click here to view a map of the local area.
CTWA’s approach to weed management has strong links with the NSW Biosecurity Strategy 2013-2021, NSW Invasive Species Plan and the NSW Weeds Action Program.
CTWA’s weed management platform is based on the achievement of the four goals outlined below:
- Prevent the establishment of new weed species in our region – Exclude
- Eliminate or prevent the spread of new weed species in our region – Eradicate or contain
- Reduce the impacts of widespread invasive weed species – Effectively manage
- Ensure community, industry and government stakeholders have the ability and long-term commitment to manage invasive weed species – Build capacity
Our approach to weed management reflects the following key themes:
- Identification and management of high risk weed species and the pathways they use to spread into and within our region.
- Formulation of new weed detection systems to improve our capacity to find new weeds early (prohibited matter).
- Ensuring we have the resources and procedures in place to undertake rapid strategic control measures against new weed incursions.
- Continual analysis of our weed management programs to ensure we are directing resources to where benefits will be the greatest.
- Increasing the community commitment and involvement in proactive weed management approaches.
CTWA’s Integrated Planning and Reporting framework provides for the coordinated and cooperative management of targeted weeds across our county.
Principal activities and services of Council are outlined below.
Regulatory
- Inspection of land within the county to ensure, so far as practicable, that owners and occupiers of land carry out their legislative weed control obligations.
- Undertaking compliance action to ensure landowners and managers meet their legislative weed control obligations.
Weed management on public lands
- Development of weed management plans, which encompasses 12,438 kilometres of roadsides across the county.
- Mapping the density and distribution of targeted weeds on roadsides.
- Carrying out control works against targeted weeds on the public road network throughout the county area.
Strategic control of high priority, high risk weed species
- Mapping of all targeted weeds on private and public lands.
- Implementing inspections on private and State lands for targeted weed species.
- Development and implementation of collaborative control activities for high priority weed species in partnership with land owners and managers.
- Identification of species exhibiting weedy potential and implementing strategies for their timely control and future management.
- Review and prioritisation of weed-management programs to ensure resources are directed to where benefits will be the greatest.
Education, extension and community engagement
- Developing programs that aim to increase the communities’ acceptance of and willingness to be involved in effective weed-management programs.
- Provision of advice on best practice control methods, weed seed spread prevention and other relevant management topics.
- Provision of technical support and literature to land owners, community and industry groups.
- Attendance at shows and field days across the region to enhance weed management awareness.