Turf Species Audit on the Gold Coast
Austspray Environmental Weed Control engaged Australian Sports Turf Consultants to conduct an independent turf species audit across 70 Gold Coast City Council (GCCC) sport and recreational facilities in May 2015. Austspray Environmental, who are weed control, landscaping and natural area management specialists that work within QLD and NSW, wanted to compare the 2015 data collected by ASTC against 2012 available turf species composition data. In comparing the 2012 and 2015 data (Figure 3) the desirable green couch turf species has improved by 6.3%. Of the major undesirable ‘weed’ species present, blue couch has decreased by 1.2%, kikuyu by 2.3%, Paspalum by 0.6%, wiregrass by 2.9%, broadleaf by 0.3% and other less common weeds has also decreased by 0.3%. Only the presence of crowsfoot and sedge had increased by 0.8% and 0.4% respectively. The data and review conducted by ASTC was then used by Austspray Environmental who submitted the independent report to Gold Coast City Council as part of their tender submission for the weed control within sport and recreational facilities within the Gold Coast. A comparison of turf species composition of the sport and recreational facilities where data is available across the 70 facilities from 2012 and 2015.