Hawkesbury River County Council is deploying drone technology to combat invasive weeds, a side effect of flooding in the area.

It’s the first time the technology has been used in the region.

HRCC represents four local Councils in Western Sydney and is responsible for weed management within the Hawkesbury-Nepean region, which covers 3,800 kilometres of land.

Flooding in the region, including the devastating 2022 event, has seen invasive weeds flourish, general manager Chris Dewhurst says.

“Weeds pose a significant risk to the Hawkesbury’s farmers, landholders and community. They have the power to reduce crop yield, clog waterways, outcompete native plants and even poison livestock,” Mr Dewhurst said.

“Floods are a significant contributor to the spread of weeds, distributing plant matter over large distances. Containing them is a constant challenge, and we are always looking to new innovations to give us the upper hand.”

HRCC’s Biosecurity team leader Toby Walker leads the program to survey the region and map weeds using the specialised drone.

The DJI Mavic 3 Multispectral device at the centre of the project, procured with funding from an Early Needs Weed Recovery Grant from Greater Sydney Local Land Services, is fitted with five cameras and can cover up to 200 hectares in a single flight.

“We cover a huge area of land as part of our work, and people often underestimate just how large it really is,” Mr Walker said.

“Drones help us to respond rapidly when our member Councils or community need our help. They also help us to cover more ground and survey hard-to-reach areas, like gullies.

“While we’re still in the early stages of using the drone, it’s a really cool piece of technology that has been a lot of fun to operate.”