Weeds growing in your garden could get you into trouble
The government wants estate agents in future to advertise ‘clean’ properties.
MUNICIPALITIES have until 1 October to outline their plan for controlling invasive species on all public land in the city, revealed the Environmental Affairs department recently.
“Like municipalities‚ every land owner in the country also has to remove invasive species on land that they own‚” the department said.
“Invasive species are now deemed a legal liability to every property owner in the country and the legislation will impact on estate agents and conveyancers.”
There are 559 listed invasive species listed in the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) and the Alien and Invasive Species (AIS) Regulation.
Marge Mitchell, chairman of the Keep Hillcrest Beautiful Association, said, “Residents should take the responsibility of finding out what plants they have in their garden and report all invasive ones to the municipality.”
She also added that if any legal action is taken the homeowners will be held liable.
The new law also states that every seller of a property has to inform the buyer of a property of any invasive species on the property.
The government wants estate agents in future to advertise ‘clean’ properties.
Amongst the plants that are deemed invasive are the pom pom plant‚ which was introduced on the continent as an ornamental flower in people’s gardens and apparently has become a threat to the conservation of the grasslands of South Africa.
The red sunflower‚ indigenous to Mexico‚ is an annual that grows up to three metres in height and is apparently proliferating near waterways‚ along railways and roadsides.
