Discrepancies in Australian jurisdiction-based regulation of invasive plants

Abstract

In Australia, regulation of invasive plant species is largely devolved to individual states and territories, resulting in a patchwork of differing prohibited-species lists and enforcement standards. We assess the scale of these jurisdictional discrepancies and show how a species that is legally prohibited from sale or possession in one jurisdiction may remain unregulated and freely traded in another. This inconsistency undermines national efforts to prevent invasive plant spread and highlights the need for greater harmonization across Australian jurisdictions.