Yass Valley Council has created a plan to address weeds in the local government area.
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The draft Yass Valley Local Weeds Action Plan is based on a similar one used by Snowy Monaro Regional Council and is on public exhibition until August 26.
Residents are encouraged to read the document, which outlines the local weed priorities and landholders' and the council's responsibilities to minimise them, and submit feedback to the council.
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They include serrated tussock, blackberry, African lovegrass, Chilean needle grass, gorse, Coolatai grass, sweet briar, Bathurst burr, Scotch/English broom, fireweed and St John's wort.
The council will establish a working party to have an annual input on the priorities.
The impact of weeds on crops and pastures is estimated to cost the NSW agricultural sector $1.8 billion per year.
Councillor Cecil Burgess knows the cost all too well as a landholder in Gundaroo and Boorowa.
Speaking as a private citizen, he said he regularly received calls from farmers worried about weeds, particularly serrated tussock, Bathurst burr, Sifton bush (not listed in the plan) and blackberry on the side of the road.
If not addressed, these could easily spread into farmers' paddocks, Cr Burgess said.
Weed management in the Yass Valley was undertaken by the Southern Slopes Noxious Plant Authority until July 1, 2017 and Hilltops Council until July 1, 2018. Since then, Yass Valley Council has been responsible.
"The sides of the road haven't been sprayed for the past 12 months," Cr Burgess said.
He is pleased to see the council addressing the problem through the document.
"I think the council has done a really good job on the plan. I urge people to make comments on it," Cr Burgess said.
NSW Farmers - Yass Branch chair Carolina Merriman has advocated for better weeds management in the shire and thought the plan needed to be clearer on the council's responsibilities.
"It's everyone's responsibility and the council can't keep passing it off to the farmers. It's not right for them to include more information for landholders in the draft plan," Ms Merriman said.
"The council's responsibilities should be black and white, in writing, for everyone to understand exactly what they are."
That included spraying the roadsides, Ms Merriman said.
The NSW Farmers - Yass Branch will be submitting feedback on the plan, Ms Merriman said.
View the plan at the council's office, 209 Comur Street, Yass, or on its website: yassvalley.nsw.gov.au.