Draft Grader Grass Weed Management Plan
A draft Weed Management Plan for grader grass has been developed and is now available for the public to provide comment by COB 18 September 2026.
Grader grass is a very high risk weed and a priority for strategic control, including eradication of outliers, in the Darwin and Katherine Regional Weeds Management Strategies.
Grader grass is a declared weed that presents a serious threat to both the environment and agriculture. It invades native vegetation, roadsides and disturbed or overgrazed areas, and can impact both native and improved pastures.
Grader grass has a strong competitive advantage over other grasses due to its prolific seed production, rapid germination and limited palatability after early growth stages. It can form dense monocultures, preventing native species from germinating and persisting and reduce the productivity of pastoral land.
Grader grass also increases fire risk by creating heavy fuel loads as plants dry out.
The draft plan establishes objectives and legal requirements for the management of grader grass in the Northern Territory. These legal requirements are additional to the general duties already applicable to grader grass and all other declared weeds.
These legal requirements are based on the existing plan that expires this year.
For more information on the existing plan, go to the Northern Territory Government website.
It is the landholder’s responsibility to ensure they are controlling grader grass on their land in accordance with legal requirements.
The spread of grader grass along roadsides is a key concern for management in the plan.
Early consultation has been undertaken with key stakeholders in developing the draft plan.
Landholder and community participation in the implementation of the plan will be vital for controlling this species.
The Weed Management branch seeks feedback on the draft plan and comments can be provided by completing the Have Your Say survey online or by emailing weedinfo@nt.gov.au
All comments received will be considered before releasing the final Weed Management Plan for Grader Grass 2026 – 2036.
