Drones, artificial intelligence and environmental DNA are among the tools being used by Sunshine Coast Council in a fight against invasive weeds.
The CSIRO estimated, in 2021, that the financial cost of managing Australia’s 3000 invasive weed species was about $25 billion: a figure that doesn’t factor in the cost of managing the environmental damage caused by these pest plants.
Invasive weeds were cited as the leading cause of biodiversity loss and species extinction.
So, Sunshine Coast Council has spent the past five years testing cutting‑edge technology through its Environment Levy funded Invasive Weeds Project.
On‑ground trial sites at Maleny and Witta provided the setting for the project, where teams used innovative management techniques to detect, manage and restore weedy landscapes.
Half a decade later, armed with scientific data, research results and hands-on learning, council is working with the community to wage a war on invasive weeds.
The project explored drone mapping and artificial intelligence to detect invasive weeds at scale, environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling to identify weeds spreading through catchments and waterways, and trials of alternative control methods to reduce long‑term reliance on herbicides.
Councillor Maria Suarez said invasive weeds posed a significant risk to the region’s biodiversity, waterways and productive land.
“Thanks to the Environment Levy we’ve been able to try some really innovative technologies to find out what actually works so that all landholders and land managers can more effectively tackle weeds on their properties,” she said.
“Through the project we’ve developed a simple, practical approach to weed management, empowering everyone from primary producers to back yard gardeners to gain the knowledge and confidence to take action.
“Unfortunately, weeds don’t recognise boundaries, so this project is a great way to share the load and together, build a greener and more connected Sunshine Coast.”
Councillor Tim Burns said council hosted a series of events and workshops, in May, to share information with the community.
“The event series offered practical hands-on demonstrations that showed participants how to work with the land, not against it, restore habitat, protect wildlife and save themselves time and money in the long term,” he said.
“The old adage ‘teach someone to fish’ really comes into play here.
“Every land parcel is different and people have different constraints. These sessions provide a playbook to choose from so people can tailor the solution to suit their situation.
“There are two community days still to come where we hope to inspire a lot more people to our weed army.”
Councillor Winston Johnston said the four simple steps, developed as an outcome of the project were available to follow on council’s website.
“Each of the methods tested at the trial sites are available to view, alongside results and application data, an extensive project resource library with everything from study data and plant lists to plant identification and hire equipment,” he said.
“Together, this project is helping remove invasive weeds, bring back native plants, and help all landholders manage weeds more effectively.”
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb.
