Blue Mountains Bushland Nursery Incentive supports nurseries
Blue Mountains Bushland Nursery Incentive is Blue Mountains City Council’s free accreditation scheme to prevent the sale of invasive priority weeds within our Local Government Area and is supported by the Nursery & Garden Industry NSW & ACT.
Fran Clark and Amanda Newman
An accreditation certificate is issued to local nurseries who do not stock or sell ‘Local Priority Weeds’. When displayed these certificates assure customers whatever they purchase will be compliant with the Biosecurity Act 2015, which regulates invasive weed species in NSW.
Accreditation also acknowledges the nursery’s awareness of our responsibilities as residents and businesses within a World Heritage Area and the need to control invasive species to protect this unique location.
Council encourages customers to ask nurseries if they are accredited and ethical when making their purchases.
Blue Mountains nurseries that have received accreditation to date are:
- Birches of Leura, 2/156 Megalong Street, Leura
- Bunnings Katoomba, Cnr of Wilson and Megalong Streets, Katoomba
- Bunnings Valley Heights, 26 Great Western Highway, Valley Heights
- Dillinger’s Nursery, 2 Great Western Highway, Wentworth Falls
- Glenbrook Village Nursery, 20 Ross Street, Glenbrook
- Honey Gem Nursery, 151 Macquarie Street, Springwood
- Long View Nursery, 29 Great Western Highway, Wentworth Falls
- Mitre 10 Katoomba, 46 Wilson Street, Katoomba
- Springwood Garden Centre, 216 Hawkesbury Road, Winmalee
- Todarellos’s Fruit House, 731 Great Western Highway, Faulconbridge
- Weber’s Nursery, 355 Great Western Highway, Blackheath
This initiative was launched in response to reports of nurseries and garden centres within the Blue Mountains LGA selling some species of Local Priority Weeds such as Buddleja davidii (Butterfly Bush) and Robinia pseudoacacia (Black Locust). Plants such as these have a detrimental impact on the natural environment.
Mayor, Councillor Mark Greenhill, said; “Residents need to be aware that if priority weeds are discovered on their property Council has a duty, and the authority under the Biosecurity Act, to require them to remove or control these plants regardless of them being bought them from a nursery. Equally, property owners have a biosecurity duty to address the risk posed by priority weeds to the environment by ensuring they are appropriately controlled and removed on their land.
“Council wants to assist residents and customers by making it easier to identify ethical nurseries. We are encouraging all our Blue Mountains’ nurseries to take up this challenge to protect our World Heritage Wilderness from invasive plant species.”
To learn more about the Blue Mountains Bushland Nursery Incentive and view a list of accredited nurseries please visit bmcc.nsw.gov.au/bushland-nursery
You can read more about Priority Weeds and your obligations under the Biosecurity Act at: bmcc.nsw.gov.au/weeds
Nurseries who would like more information on becoming accredited should contact Council on 02 4870 5000.
Photo: Fran Clark, BMCC Weeds Compliance Office and Amanda Newman, Manager Longview Garden Centre, Wentworth Falls.