The benefits are flowing from water weed identification and early detection training for weed authority staff, water quality monitoring organisations and other regular users of waterways.

"More than 400 people have been trained in the past year as part of the Aquatic Weeds Early Detection Project based at NSW DPI, Grafton," Fiona McPherson, NSW Department of Primary Industries project officer, said.

"The training is already paying dividends, resulting in new infestations of alligator weed being found in Lismore Lake, NSW, and the Mud Plantain in Caboolture and Morayfield, Queensland," she said.

Water weeds are invasive plants that can rapidly infest rivers, creeks, wetlands, irrigation channels and dams.

They can form large floating mats and dense stands under the water or along the banks where they interfere with the normal functioning of the waterbody, destroying environmental, economic and social values.

Ms McPherson said managing water weeds was challenging due to their rapid growth rates, their ability to spread by seed and/or plant fragments, and the difficulties and costs associated with controlling weeds in an aquatic situation.

"The most strategic form of water weed management is to detect and treat the infestation early when it is small and not well established," she said. 

"Early detection increases the possibility of successful containment or eradication, minimises the cost, labour and time required to control an infestation and reduces the risk of spread."

The Aquatic Weeds Early Detection Project is currently implementing early detection procedures for significant water weeds in key regions in Australia.

It is an initiative of the National Aquatic Weeds Management Group funded by the Australian Government’s Defeating the Weeds Menace Program and NSW Department of Primary Industries.

The project aims to increase the likelihood of opportunistic water weed detections, to incorporate an early detection survey into existing weed inspection programs, and to include water weed observations in existing water quality monitoring programs.

"The response to the workshops has been very positive with many enthusiastic participants keen to apply the techniques learnt at the workshops to their local area," Ms McPherson said.

"Every person can play a vital role in protecting our waterways by recognising and reporting water weeds to their local weeds officer as soon as possible."

Contact Fiona McPherson, Grafton (02) 6640 1692 or 0427 923 186, www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/weeds