2015-04-28 Attachment 2 to item 5 Planning and Organisation Committee Agenda - Pest Management Plan 2015-2019

3. Pest impacts in Noosa


Pests of our waterways                               maintenance program including the use of
                                                     bulk aquatic weed harvesters at considerable
Aquarium and pond weeds have been introduced         cost to asset managers. In many instances,
into waterways in a number of ways (including        once infestation occurs eradication is almost
from human activities). For example aquatic          impossible.
weeds can be introduced to a new water body
via vessels, trailers and fishing equipment.         Aquatic pest animals, such as the red-eared
Introduced weeds continue to spread as a result      slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans), can
of flooding, movement of water fowl and water        aggressively out-compete native species for food,
based activities.                                    basking and nesting sites. They prey on native
                                                     species such as aquatic reptiles, frogs, fish,
Of particular concern in Noosa waterways are         crustaceans and insects and have the potential
salvinia (Salvinia spp.), cabomba (Cabomba           to carry diseases and parasites that can infect
caroliniana), dense waterweed (Egeria densa),        native fauna.
yellow waterlily (Nymphaea mexicana) and
hygrophila (Hygrophila costata). These weeds         Pests of our coastal ecosystems
grow aggressively and can dramatically alter
environmental and physicochemical conditions         Noosa is celebrated for its stunning beaches
and interfere with ecological processes. This can    and, as a result, coastal ecosystems are
have devastating effects on native flora and fauna   under immense pressure from residential and
such as the Australian lungfish, platypus and        tourist development. Native species have been
freshwater turtles.                                  overlooked by landscapers in favour of low
                                                     maintenance ‘tropical’ gardens filled with exotic
                                                     palms. The encroachment of development into
                                                     coastal areas has meant that garden escapees
                                                     such as asparagus fern (Asparagus spp.),
                                                     glory lily (Gloriosa superba), Singapore daisy
                                                     (Sphagneticola trilobata), cocos palm (Syagrus
                                                     romanzoffiana) and coastal morning glory
                                                     (Ipomoea cairica) have become prevalent in many
                                                     coastal environments.




Salvinia (Salvinia molesta)

Aquatic weeds can detrimentally affect
recreational and aesthetic values of water
bodies. Heavy infestations make boating and
swimming difficult and can also be dangerous to
children and animals if the weeds look like solid
ground. In addition submerged aquatic weeds
such as cabomba (Cabomba caroliniana) can
cause swimmers to become entangled in the            Singapore daisy (Sphagneticola trilobata)
stems of the weed. Management of infestations
in constructed water bodies requires a regular
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