Council encourages residents to help with the eradication of weeds from the footpaths and nature strips.

The Council team has an extensive annual program of spraying unsealed footpaths, nature strips, verges and parks and is strongly committed to ensuring the biodiversity of the region and plays significant role in the weed and pest management of the Willyama Common and Living Desert. Council is active in the control and eradication of introduced weeds such as African Boxthorn, Mesquite, Camel Thorn, Bathurst Burr, Nogoora Burr and Prickly Pear and also provides general weed control throughout the Living Desert, such as the spraying of mesquite and other noxious weeds.

However, while the rain is fantastic for the region's wildflowers, encouraging visitors to the City and region, Council's environmental commitment to successfully eradicate weeds from the City's extensive footpath and nature strip network is now stretched beyond its resources.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

• Get to know the local weeds so that if you spot them, you can remove or report them to Council
• Learn about local native plants in the area and plant them in your garden
• Be aware that weed seeds are transported on vehicles, trailers, clothing, shoes, in soil and in pet or livestock fur and hair
• Always stick to designated tracks when walking, horse riding, driving, or riding pushbikes or motorbikes through natural areas
• Dispose of weeds that are already seeding or readily able to reproduce by placing them in a black plastic bag, sealing it and "baking it" in the sun until destroyed. This method alone may not kill all parts of the weed, for example bulbs, and may need to be used in combination with other methods such as mulching.
• Compost or dispose of other garden and green waste in your own yard or by carefully transporting it to Council's green waste section at the tip. NEVER dump garden waste over the back fence or in public reserve areas; and
• Always cover trailers when transporting plant material to prevent seeds and other live plant material falling off.

If you have weeded your nature strip, Council will collect the weeds FREE OF CHARGE each Tuesday and Thursday. Please do not sweep the weeds into the gutter. Leave them in piles on the nature strip. To book in your pick up call the Infrasturcture Department on (08) 8080 3362.