Lantana (Lantana camara L.)

2.6 Research requirements

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  Further research into the ecology and population dynamics of lantana varieties is vital to identify vulnerable aspects of the life history and to establish effective management and monitoring strategies.
  
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  Monitoring the effectiveness of existing biological control agents so that future release programs can be justified and better targeted.
  
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  Investigations into the ecological limitations of lantana varieties to improve assessments of potential spread under current and climate change scenarios. Focus should be on the relative importance of temperature, number of frost days and soil moisture content.
  
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  Further research into fire management and its integration with other control techniques to achieve management outcomes suitable to a range of environments.
  
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  Assessment of the rate and nature of genetic flow from existing ornamental varieties into weedy populations.
  
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  Continued assessment of potential biological control agents with a focus on species from the Caribbean and Venezuelan regions, which have been identified as the most likely points of genetic origin of lantana in Australia.
  
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  Monitoring and quantification of the factors affecting natural ecosystem recovery following lantana removal.
  
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  Predictive modelling of high-risk spread pathways and regions under current and climate change conditions.
  
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  Research into appropriate native replacement species and control techniques (e.g. mosaic control and appropriate patch-management size) to ensure ongoing food and habitat options for native species in disturbed environments.
  
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  Research into better integration of biological control and other management techniques.
  
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  Research to identify or confirm a relationship between lantana infestations and bell minor–associated dieback.
  

2.7 Legislative controls

Table 1 summarises the current state and territory declarations as at December 2012.

Jurisdiction	Legislation	Declaration	Action
Australian Capital Territory	Pest Plants and Animals Act 2005	Lantana camara is included on the declared pest plant list	Supply and propagation is prohibited
New South Wales	Noxious Weeds Act 1993	All lantana species are declared as Class 4 plants statewide	Growth and spread of the plant must be controlled according to the measures specified in a management plan published by the local control authority, and the plant may not be sold or knowingly distributed
		Lantana camara is declared a Class 3 Regionally Controlled Weed in the Bega Valley, Eurobodalla and Lord Howe Island Shires	The plant must be fully and continuously suppressed and destroyed, and the plant may not be sold or knowingly distributed
Northern Territory	Weeds Management Act 2001	All lantana species are Schedule Class B/C plants statewide	Growth and spread to be controlled; not to be introduced to the Territory
Queensland	Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002	All lantana species are Class 3 plants statewide	Supply or sale prohibited May require removal from environmentally significant areas
South Australia	Natural Resource Management Act 2004	L. camara is a Class 11 – category 3 plant statewide	Sale is prohibited
Tasmania	Weed Management Act 1999	Legal responsibilities are laid out in the Lantana Statutory Weed Management Plan (Lantana camara)	Import, sale and supply is prohibited. Land holders may be required to control the species on their property
Victoria	Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994	L. camara is a Restricted plant in all regions	Trade and distribution of the species is restricted
Western Australia	Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007	L. camara is declared C3 (management) – whole of state	Sale and trade is prohibited. Weed-specific management plans may be developed in the future