Control pest plants & weeds

The best way to deal with environmental weeds is to control them and prevent their spread.

  • Learn to recognise environmental weeds
  • Do not buy or sell environmental weeds.
  • Remove environmental weeds from your garden.
  • Use local (to the Gold Coast) native plants in your garden.
  • Dispose of garden waste responsibly. Never dump garden clippings or aquarium plants in the bush, in waterways or on roadsides.
  • Talk to your family and friends about any weeds that may currently be in their gardens.

We offer free schemes to support private landholders wanting to manage pest plants and weeds and restore their property's native habitat. Find out if you're eligible for assistance through one our Landholder support programs.

You can learn more about controlling weeds and bush regeneration by participating in the City's NaturallyGC Program or join a bushcare group through our NaturallyGC Volunteer Landcare Program.

Identifying pest plants & weeds

We have produced a booklet to help residents identify pest plants and weeds and to provide some information on how to control environmental weeds.

For a copy of the booklet contact us or download the Environmental weeds and native alternatives(PDF, 5MB)

To learn more, visit Business Queensland's invasive plants page. You can also send a sample for identification to the Queensland Herbarium.

Report invasive plants

If you see any pest plants on public or private land, please report them to us. We will investigate the problem and may be able to control their spread. You can either:

Weed management techniques

Methods of controlling environmental weeds are explained in our videos on the Ecological restoration techniques page.

The appropriate control method or combination of methods will depend on a range of factors including:

  • the aim of your project
  • surrounding plants, landscape and land use
  • size and growth habit of plants to be controlled
  • scale and density of the weed infestation
  • other weed species impacting the site
  • seasonal and weather conditions
  • habitat considerations and surrounding native vegetation
  • safety considerations
  • available resources including follow up and maintenance
  • level of skill and experience of the people carrying out works.

It is important to note pest plants and weeds are usually the first ones to re-establish in an area after initial weed control is carried out. Successful long-term weed control requires planning, working methodically, and ensuring control and maintenance is ongoing.

Removal of pest tree species

Residents are permitted to damage or remove assessable vegetation only if an AQF Level 3 Arborist has identified the tree as being one of 5 listed pest species. To learn more go to our Removal of pest tree species page.

Pest plants and weeds fact sheets

While all due care was taken in compiling these fact sheets, please note that they do not cover all possible removal and control techniques available. You need to ensure you have read and understood local laws and what permits may be required when undertaking any control techniques.

Recommendations here are for private land use only. No works are to be carried out on public land unless authorised by the relevant authority.

The authors accept no responsibility for decisions and actions taken as a result of any content in these fact sheets.

Ground weed

Related information

Back to top