Prevention of Spread of Noxious Weeds Act (Cap. 44)

Commencement: 6 May 1966 LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU REVISED EDITION 1988 CHAPTER 44 PREVENTION OF SPREAD OF NOXIOUS WEEDS JR 8 of 1966 ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS SECTION 1. Appointment of inspectors 2. Importation of noxious weeds prohibited 3. Right of entry 4. Limitation on right of entry 5. Declaration of noxious weeds 6. Areas to be kept free from noxious weeds 7. Eradication of weeds 8. Director of Agriculture may issue instructions 9. Offences and penalties 10. Power of Director of Agriculture to control weeds SCHEDULE 1 Declared noxious weeds SCHEDULE 2 Areas to be kept free from noxious weeds SCHEDULE 3 Areas in which measures must be taken in accordance with notice to owners and occupiers given by the Director of Agriculture. SCHEDULE 4 Notice of eradication or control of weeds. PREVENTION OF SPREAD OF NOXIOUS WEEDS To prevent the spread of noxious weeds. APPOINTMENT OF INSPECTORS 1. There shall be appointed in the Agricultural Department inspectors for the purposes of this Act. IMPORTATION OF NOXIOUS WEEDS PROHIBITED 2. Except with the written consent of the Director of Agriculture no person shall import into Vanuatu any noxious weed or shall propagate, sow, sell or distribute, or cause to be propagated, sown, sold or distributed, any such weed. RIGHT OF ENTRY 3. (1) An inspector may between sunrise and sunset, enter any property other than a building, and inspect it for the presence of declared noxious weeds or to ascertain whether there has been compliance with the requirements of this Act. (2) It shall be the duty of every occupier of land to conduct the inspector on request on such land. LIMITATION ON RIGHT OF ENTRY 4. The right of entry conferred by section 3, shall only be exercised after due notice of the intention to do so has been given to the occupier of the land intended to be entered. DECLARATION OF NOXIOUS WEEDS 5. The plants, particulars of which are set out in the first part of Schedule 1, are declared to be noxious weeds throughout Vanuatu. AREAS TO BE KEPT FREE FROM NOXIOUS WEEDS 6. The occupier of land in any of the areas shown in column 1 of Schedule 2, shall keep such land entirely free from the noxious weed shown against that Island or area in column 2 of the said Schedule. ERADICATION OF WEEDS 7. The occupier of land in any of the areas shown in column 1 of Schedule 3 shall, with respect to the noxious weed shown against such area in column 2 of the said Schedule, take such measures to eradicate or control such weed as the Director of Agriculture may, by notice in writing, in the form set out in Schedule 4, direct the occupier. DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE MAY ISSUE INSTRUCTIONS 8. The Director of Agriculture may, by notice issue directions as to the measures to be taken in order to eradicate or control any weed, and every occupier of land in the area or areas specified in such notice shall carry out such directions within the period specified in the said notice. OFFENCES AND PENALTIES 9. Any person failing to comply with the provisions of this Act shall be guilty of an offence and on conviction thereof shall be liable to a fine of VT50,000 and shall not be relieved, on conviction of such an offence of the obligation to comply with such provisions or with the requirements of any notice made under the provisions of this Act. POWER OF DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE TO CONTROL WEEDS 10. Without prejudice to the provisions of section 9, if any person fails within a reasonable time to comply with the provisions of sections 5 and 6 or with a notice issued under section 7, the Director of Agriculture may take such steps as are necessary to control or eradicate any noxious weed at the cost of that person and any expenses lawfully incurred by him in so doing may be recovered as a civil debt. SCHEDULE 1 (section 5) DECLARED NOXIOUS WEEDS Acacia famesiana Wild ...................................…… Ellington Curse Eichhomia crassipes Solms ..............................…… Water Hyacinth Elephantopus mollis H.B.K. and E. spicatus ……… Tobacco Weed and False Tobacco Weed Clidemia Hirta (L) D. Don ...........................…...... Koster's Curse Hyptis pectinate (L) Poit .................................…... Mint Weed Opuntia (all species) ......................................……. Prickly Pear Sida acuta Burm. f. .......................................…... Broom Weed Solanum torvum Swartz ..................................….. Wild Aubergine Sorghum helepense (L) Pers ............................…... Johnson Grass Urena lobata (L) ...........................................….. Hibiscus burr Xanthium pungens Wallr ...............................….... Noogoora burr Psidium guajava (L) ......................................…... Guava Cyperus aromaticus (Ridl) ………………………….. Navua Sedge Mattf and Kukenth ............................………….…… Navua Sedge Lantana camera (L) .....................................…..... Lantana Asclepias curassavica (L) ................................….. Herbe A gendarme Cassia tora (L) .................................................. Wild Peanut Cuscuta australis R. Br ..........................…........... Dodder Rivina Humilis (L) ..................................…........ Coral Berry SCHEDULE 2 (section 6) AREAS TO BE KEPT FREE FROM NOXIOUS WEEDS Noxious Weeds The whole group .......................................………… Acacia fernesiana The whole group ........................................……....... Eichhornia crassipes The whole group ......................................……....…. Elephantopus mollis E. spicatus The whole group .........................................……..... Clidemia hirta The whole group .................................……….……. Hyptis pectinata The whole group ..........................................…….... Opuntia sp. The whole group ..........................................…….... Urena lobata The whole group ..........................................…….... Xanthium pungens The whole group except Efate ..........................……. Cyperus aromaticus The whole group except Efate and S. Santo .........….. Asclepias curassavica The whole group ...........................................……… Cuscuta australis SCHEDULE 3 (section 7) Areas in which measures must be taken in accordance with notice to owners and occupiers given by the Director of Agriculture. Areas Noxious Weeds Efate ....................................................…….................. Cyperus aromaticus Efate and Espiritu Santo .............................………...... Sorghum halepense Efate, Espiritu Santo, Malekula, Tanna ............………. Psidium guajava Efate, Espiritu Santo, Malekula ...................………...... Lantana camera Efate and South Espiritu Santo .......................………... Aselepias curassavica Efate and Espiritu Santo ...........................…………...... Cassia tora Efate, Espiritu Santo, Malekula, Tanna .............………. Solanum torvum Efate, Espiritu Santo, Tanna, Malekula ..............……… Sida acuta Efate, Espiritu Santo, Malekula .......................………... Rivina humilis SCHEDULE 4 (section 7) NOTICE OF ERADICATION OR CONTROL OF WEEDS Prevention of Spread of Noxious Weeds Act, Cap. 44 To: ............................................................................... (address and occupation). Take Notice that, in respect of land owned or occupied by you and hereunder described, you are hereby required to comply with the requirements mentioned below; and I hereby call on you to commence the necessary work within ............... days from the date of this notice, and thereafter to continue the work until the said requirements are effectively complied with, being not later than the ......................... day of ................................... 19 ....... Name of land ............................................................................................. Area Noxious Weeds ................................................................................................... Control Measures: ........................................................................................................................ Dated this ......................... day of ................................... 19 ....... ................................................ (Inspector)