A NSW Government biosecurity response is underway near Lithgow after prohibited hawkweed (Pilosella species) plants were advertised for sale on eBay and found growing at a property in Portland.
NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and Central Tablelands Weeds Authority (CTWA) staff confiscated the hawkweed plants from a backyard garden.
Hawkweed poses a significant biosecurity risk to agricultural production and the environment and is classified as prohibited matter under the Biosecurity Act 2015, which means it cannot legally be kept, grown or sold in NSW.
NSW DPIRD State Priority Weed coordinator, Matthew McGrath, said Agriculture Victoria alerted the department to the online sale of hawkweed.
"The plants were removed from sale after we contacted the seller as part of our investigation of the online listing," Mr McGrath said.
"A biosecurity response team has removed all hawkweed plants from the infested property as we work to eradicate the weed, investigate potential high-risk retail pathways and stop its sale in NSW.
"No hawkweed plants were found in a three-day surveillance operation, when biosecurity officers and scent detection dogs searched the surrounding area in a 500-metre radius of the infestation."
Hawkweed detection dogs play an important role in locating small or difficult-to-see plants which may otherwise be missed.
The operation involved staff from NSW DPIRD, CTWA, Local Land Services, the Blue Mountains and Shoalhaven City Councils, the Queanbeyan-Palerang and Mid-Western Regional Councils, and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Through its role as a local control authority (LCA), CTWA is continuing to work with the seller to keep the property free from hawkweed and investigate the source of the original plants.
The CTWA and 96 other LCAs across the state are funded by the $40.7 million NSW Government Weeds Action Program 2025-2029 to monitor and manage emerging weed threats, such as hawkweed.
Hawkweed species are highly invasive and pose a serious threat to Australian agriculture and biodiversity.
They can form dense infestations of up to 3800 plants per square metre, which outcompete native plants and pastures, reduce agricultural productivity, reduce food and habitat for native animals, and invade gardens and roadsides.
Early detection and rapid response are critical to preventing hawkweed from becoming established in NSW.
Anyone who sees hawkweed advertised for sale or suspects they have seen hawkweed plants should contact their local council or call the NSW Biosecurity Helpline, 1800 680 244.
