Warning to Aussie gardeners after harmful find in 'beautiful' wetlands
A stern warning has been issued to Aussie gardeners after council staff made a potentially devastating find dumped in 'beautiful' wetlands. A biodiversity team from Mount Barker District Council, southeast of Adelaide, was recently working at the Laratinga Wetlands when something unusual caught their eye.
However, it wasn't a 'rare frog or an interesting fungus' — the crew had stumbled upon a pile of dumped garden waste. Sadly, when they began sifting through the clippings, they discovered it contained an annoying pest — Italian buckthorn.
'Buckthorn might look like just another leafy shrub. But this Mediterranean import is no harmless plant,' the Mount Barker District Council posted online. 'It's a declared weed in South Australia, and it's got a reputation — one that's not welcome in our wetlands.'
Once a popular garden hedge, the large evergreen shrub has escaped from backyards and into the wild where it has been causing big problems, especially in coastal parts of south east Australia.
'Buckthorn doesn't play nicely with others. It outcompetes native plants, alters ecosystem structures and disrupts ecological processes,' the council explained.
'Thanks to quick action, we believe we've removed all traces of it from Laratinga. But Buckthorn is persistent, and every time someone dumps garden waste in the wrong place, we risk another outbreak.'
According to Landscape SA, Italian buckthorn produces large quantities of bright red berries that can be spread by birds, ants and wildlife via their scat. It can also spread via seeds in soil and dumped garden waste, which is classified as general litter.
Those who do illegally dump rubbish in the area could cop an on-the-spot fine of $210, or face penalties ranging from $5,000 to $250,000 in court, Mount Barker District Council confirmed.
"The size of the fine issued for illegal dumping will depend on the type of litter and the amount dumped," a spokesperson told Yahoo.
Following the incident, the council urged gardeners not to dump their waste, especially in natural areas, and instead place it in their green bin 'where it belongs'.
Small plants and seeds can be removed by hand but the whole root must be removed. It can also be controlled with chemicals. Because it is a declared weed, homeowners and renters have an obligation to control Italian buckthorn if it's found on their property.
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While it's illegal to sell Italian buckthorn in South Australia, there are a range of escaped garden plants that are still being sold around the country.
Escaped garden plants are the primary source of new weeds in Australia, with a whopping three-quarters of all environmental weeds starting out as ornamentals, Dr Carol Booth, the Invasive Species Council's policy director, told Yahoo News last week.
This has prompted the Invasive Species Council to campaign for stricter regulations on the nursery industry to stop the selling and spreading of such plants, which contribute to over $5 billion in losses each year.
'More than 30,000 plant species have been imported into Australia for gardening, but fewer than a quarter have been assessed nationally for their weed risk,' Dr Booth said. 'Some of our worst invasives — like lantana and blackberry — were once common garden plants.
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