Strides made in salvinia weed management across Springfield Lakes waterways
19 June 2025
More than 80 tonnes of the invasive weed salvinia have been removed from two key waterways in Springfield Lakes as part of a coordinated approach by Ipswich City Council and developer Stockland.
Salvinia is a highly invasive aquatic weed that is capable of rapid growth in favourable conditions, in some cases, doubling in size overnight.
Prolonged wet weather can contribute to the growth of salvinia and reduce the effectiveness of growth management measures.
In a council-first trial, specialist equipment known as a ‘spider excavator’ was recently deployed to remove salvinia from a hard-to-access pond at 9000 Viewpoint Drive in Springfield Lakes.
Environment and Sustainability Committee Chairperson Councillor Jim Madden said that the spider’s unique design allows it to traverse steep terrain and enter shallow water bodies, making it ideal for challenging environments like the pond at Viewpoint Drive.
“The spider can access areas where no other machine can, allowing us to undertake works that were previously impossible,” Cr Madden said.
“It can traverse previously impassable steep terrain, enter water bodies to limited depths, ‘step’ out of boggy ground where other machines would get stuck, and manoeuvre around some of the obstructing utility services by raising the body over an obstacle, up to a certain height.
“The trial found that, when used in conjunction with aquatic weed booms, the spider excavator has had some success in removing salvinia – however works are continuing at this particularly challenging site at Viewpoint Drive.”
Treatment has also been underway at the pond near 31 Vistula Circuit Reserve, where council deployed an aquatic weed harvester to remove a dense mat of salvinia that had formed on the water’s surface.
Cr Madden said the equipment produced an exceptional result for the waterway.
“Recent works carried out using the aquatic weed harvester were a huge success, with a total of 80 tonnes of salvinia removed from a single pond,” Cr Madden said.
Deputy Mayor and Division 2 Councillor Nicole Jonic said council is employing a variety of treatment methods as part of its long-term strategy to manage the growth of salvinia in Springfield Lakes waterways.
“While the primary lakes are privately owned and maintained by Stockland, council is assisting with salvinia management in surrounding and linked water bodies to support the overall care of the connected waterways,” Deputy Mayor Jonic said.
“Together with Stockland, council is actively applying every available method to manage salvinia in a way that conserves the health, safety, and natural beauty of Springfield’s waterways for the whole community.”
Stockland Senior Development Manager Katie Cullen said the results of recent works have been positive.
“Alongside Ipswich City Council, we are doing what we can to remove and manage the growth of salvinia in the waterways in the Springfield Lakes waterbodies, and these measures have been successful to date,” Ms Cullen said.
“Ongoing management, including regular spraying, is required and we will continue to work collaboratively with council and contractors on this long-term strategy.”