This Act, consisting of 76 sections divided into seven Parts and completed by two Schedules, aims at the following objectives: (a) to identify noxious weeds in respect of which particular control measures need to be taken; (b) to specify the control measures; (c) to specify the duties of public and private landholders as to the control of noxious weeds; (d) to provide a framework for the State-wide control of noxious weeds by the Minister and local control authorities. The Minister may declare by order published in the Gazette a plant to be a noxious weed in respect of the whole of the State or a part thereof. The Minister may also specify in the order which "control categories" apply to the noxious weed. The control categories for noxious weeds are W1, W2, W3 and W4. For a W1 noxious weed, the presence of the weed on land must be notified to the local control authority and the weed must be fully and continuously suppressed and destroyed; for a W2 noxious weed, the weed must be fully and continuously suppressed and distroyed; for a W3 noxious weed, the weed must be prevented from spreading and its numbers and distribution reduced; for a W4 noxious weed, the action specified in the declaration must be taken in respect of the weed and may be more or less stringent, and more specific, than the action required to be taken under the control categories. Part 3 makes provision for the control of noxious weeds on land. For this purpose, the obligation to control noxious weeds applies to both private and public occupiers of land. Part 4 concerns the powers and duties of public authorities; Part 5 deals with the appointment of inspectors and the establishment of advisory committees. Parts 6 and 7 contain respectively enforcement and miscellaneous provisions. The Act is completed by three Schedules: Members of advisory committees (1); Savings, transitional and other provisions (2); Amendment of Acts (3).
Australie · 1993-05-04