October 7, 2009: In the course of South Coast Councils' federally-funded project to control sea spurge along the South Coast beaches project officers Stuart Cameron (BVSC) and Jo Lane (Eurobodalla) have discovered that sea spurge is not the only exotic weed attempting a takeover of local beaches.

Beach daisy is a South African plant whose seeds, like those of sea spurge, are dispersed along the coast by currents.  It is a prostrate plant that has very furry, silvery, spoon-shaped leaves and  yellow daisy flowers.  It forms extensive clumps which mound up as sand is trapped round the stems, significantly modifying the beachscape.

A particularly extensive infestation has established in the mouth of Wallaga Lake, on the boundary between Bega Valley and Eurobodalla shires.  Jo Lane and Stuart Cameron were recently joined by Joe Campbell and Haiden Briggs from Merrimans Local Aboriginal Land Council in an effort to bring this infestation under control.

The extent of the Wallaga Lake mouth infestation is exceptional but beach daisy could turn up on any local beach.  So if you come upon it while taking a beach stroll please uproot the plant or notify Stuart Cameron or Jo Lane via BVCS or Eurobodalla weeds officers.