Kudzu Management Plan: Clarence, Coffs Harbour, Bellingen sub-region

This NRM Plan was produced as part of the Northern Rivers 2011-2012 Plan Development Program. Kudzu is a native of Asia including southern Japan and south east China. This species is listed in the "100 of the world’s most invasive alien species" list and is a serious weed in at least 15 countries. In the eastern United States, over 3 million hectares of land are infested with kudzu and it is spreading by 50,000 the per year (Forseth and Innes 2004). Much of this region has a similar climate to that of the north coast region. The rampant growth of kudzu severely threatens biodiversity through restricting germination of plant seedlings, smothering established trees and other vegetation, reducing the amount and diversity of food resources for native fauna and impacting on other habitat values. Kudzu restricts human movement, smothers fences, power lines, rail lines and other infrastructure and reduces scenic values. Kudzu was introduced to Australia as a pasture legume and for erosion control. Kudzu is patchily distributed in Qld and coastal NSW but has the potential to become a significant threat to natural ecosystems. This species is currently classed as a Class 3 noxious weed in Clarence, Coffs Harbour and Bellingen Local Government Areas. Class 3 weeds are Regionally Controlled Weeds. These are plants that pose a potentially serious threat to primary production, the environment or human health, are widely distributed in the area to which the order applies and are likely to spread in the area or to another area. Control requirements are that the growth and spread of the plant must be controlled according to the measures specified in a management plan published by the local control authority. Aims: This Plan will greatly assist the management and control of the highly invasive weed, kudzu, in this region. The long-term aim is eradication of at least the smaller patches of kudzu in the region.