Weeds in the NT
Weeds are a cause and a symptom of environmental change.
Most of the weeds in the Northern Territory are generally introduced plants from overseas from areas with a similar climate to us. Many of these originate from Central and South America, as well as some from South Africa. Introduced plants generally have no natural enemies in Australia which can lead to the establishment of significant infestations.
Some weeds from overseas have been deliberately introduced to the NT for the purpose of producing food, crops, medicine or for ornamental purposes, while others were accidental introductions.
There are currently 119 declared weeds in the Northern Territory and these are separated into three class schedules; Schedule Class A/C (to be eradicated), Schedule Class B/C (growth and spread to be controlled) and Schedule Class C (not to be introduced to the Territory) . For the purpose of weed management the NT is divided into 4 regions; Darwin region, Katherine region, Tennant the Barkly region and the Alice Springs region.
Weeds may impact on primary industries, environmental values, traditional land use values or human health. These impacts may be felt in a number of ways including increased production costs, decreased production potential, changes in biodiversity and altered fire regimes.
