Research activities

Staged investment pipeline

The project has been delivered through four stages, structured as an investment pipeline and guided by a prioritisation methodology to identify high-risk environmental weeds with the greatest prospects for successful biocontrol. Each stage is outlined below, including a brief description of its scope, a list of target weed species, and the specific biocontrol research focus for each.

• Stage 1 (June 2016 – June 2017): Established a transparent prioritisation framework to identify high-risk environmental weeds in NSW most suitable for biocontrol, resulting in the selection of five priority species for further research under Stage 2.
• Stage 2 (July 2017 – October 2021): Advanced biocontrol research by testing and seeking approval for safe and effective agents targeting the five priority weeds identified in Stage 1, with mixed outcomes based on host-specificity trials.
• Stage 3 (June 2019 – June 2026): Delivering targeted biocontrol research and implementation across multiple annual implementation plans, including agent testing, mass-releases, community engagement, and ecological monitoring for a broadening set of priority weed species.
• Stage 4 (July 2025 – ongoing): Delivering targeted biocontrol research and implementation across multiple annual implementation plans, including agent testing, mass-releases, community engagement, and ecological monitoring for a broadening set of priority weed species.

Further details on the prioritisation method and the results that informed species selection for each stage can be found here.

Additional information on target weed species and their associated biocontrol activities is available under the species thumbnails on the weed biocontrol homepage.