KI landholders urged to have their say on weed declarations
Kangaroo Island landholders and community members are being encouraged to have their say on a statewide review of plants declared as weeds under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) are coordinating a review of South Australia’s declared plants, considering new plants for declaration as well as reviewing existing declarations and regional management actions.
Among the existing declared plants being reviewed in 2026 are three regional priority weeds on Kangaroo Island — African lovegrass, caltrop and gorse.
Kangaroo Island Landscape Board Animal and Plant Control Officer Jason Walter said the review was an important opportunity for people with first-hand knowledge of weeds on the island to contribute.
“Landholders are often the people seeing these weeds on the ground, dealing with infestations and can provide useful information about how they are spreading across the landscape,” Mr Walter said.
“This is an opportunity to tell us what you are seeing and share your knowledge and experience of managing these weeds on Kangaroo Island.”
The declaration of a plant can place legal requirements on its movement, sale and notification, as well as requirements for its control or destruction. Landscape boards administer these declarations at a regional level through strategies and management programs.
Mr Walter said weed management was not a one-size-fits-all approach.
“Different weeds have different on ground management and legal requirements involved in their management,” he said.
“For a new or isolated infestation, the aim may be eradication before the weed has the chance to establish and spread. For a more widespread weed, the focus may be on limiting further spread and protecting un-infested areas.
“That is why local knowledge matters. We want the people who own and manage land on Kangaroo Island to look at the declared plants being reviewed and tell us what they think.”
The 2026 review also includes existing declared weeds such as African lovegrass, caltrop, gorse, arum lily, blackberry, Salvation Jane, boneseed and asparagus fern. New plants are also being considered for declaration, including feathertop grass, hairyflower lovegrass, tree tobacco, wilding radiata pine and firethorn.
People can provide comments and feedback on the declared plant review directly to the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board at any time. PIRSA will also invite public feedback through the YourSAy website planned for late 2026.
The Kangaroo Island Landscape Board are also wanting to know about any general weed concerns you may have.
Mr Walter encouraged people to consider not only weeds they currently have on their own property, but also plants they have seen emerging or spreading elsewhere on the island.
“We want to hear about what people are seeing now, but also what they are concerned could become a bigger problem in the future,” he said.
“The earlier we understand a new weed risk, the better the chance we have of preventing it from becoming an expensive and widespread problem.”
Have your say: email KI.LandscapeBoard@sa.gov.au with the name of the weed you are concerned about and provide information about where it occurs, how it is spreading and your experience managing it. Feedback on the declared plant review can also be sent to the same address.
For the full lists of plants being reviewed, visit the PIRSA website and search “Review of declared plants (weeds)”.
