Prohibited weed infestation detected in Clayton

14 July 2023

An eagle-eyed Clayton South resident is being praised for reporting a large water hyacinth weed infestation on a local waterway.

Agriculture Victoria Leading Biosecurity Officer Kaitlin Wright said the resident’s quick actions will help safeguard the area from further spread of the invasive plant.

‘Water hyacinth is a really vigorous grower, choking rivers, dams, lakes and irrigation channels and costing billions of dollars every year in control measures and economic losses.’ Ms Wright said.

‘We’re grateful this infestation was brought to our attention by an eagle-eyed resident, who was participating in a City of Kingston weed spotting event.’

‘It’s fantastic to have this infestation at Namatjira Park brought to our attention and we will now work to treat and remove it before it spreads further.’

Works to remove one of weeds from the Clayton reserve will require the eastern section of the park to close for up to eight weeks from the end of July.

City of Kingston Mayor Hadi Saab said the organisation is committed to protecting and nurturing the natural environment across the city.

‘We are lucky to be home to 470 varieties of ferns and flowering plants and 274 bird, fish and animal species, so effectively managing invasive weeds is vital to enable them to thrive,’ Cr Saab said.

‘It’s very encouraging to be able to work so closely with Melbourne Water and Agriculture Victoria to stamp out this infestation before it can cause major issues.’

Contractors will divert water from the 1700 square-metre infestation site at Namatjira Park, then use excavators to scrape the base of the lake clear of water hyacinth. No chemicals will be used in the removal process.

‘Melbourne Water is working closely with Agriculture Victoria and City of Kingston to remove water hyacinth from Clayton Retarding Basin to reduce the risk of spreading this State Prohibited Weed,’ Melbourne Water Operations and Maintenance Office Andy Clark said.

Water hyacinth has distinctive mauve flowers during summer, with a darker purple patch and yellow spot on the upper petal.

‘Water hyacinth is easily recognisable in winter, even without the flowers, because it has round, bulbous stems that clump together on the water surface,’ Ms Wright said.

‘We’re concerned there could be more in the area that has been spread by birds, or kept in backyards as an ornamental pond plant, so we’re asking local residents to report confirmed or suspected sightings via our website or the customer service centre on 136 186.

‘Water hyacinth can spread very easily, so please don’t try to remove it yourself – we will do it for you.’

Water hyacinth is a state prohibited weed in Victoria, which means it’s an offence to buy, sell, display, give away or transport.

Full details about the park closure, including impacted entry and exit points, are available on the City of Kingston website.

More information on the potential impacts of state prohibited weeds is available via the Agriculture Victoria website.

Members of the public can make a report to Agriculture Victoria of State prohibited weeds to weed.spotters@agriculture.vic.gov.au or contact the customer service centre on 136 186, and an officer will contact you to offer assistance.

Media contact: Tess Vallance

Phone: 0437 223 276