Glyphosate Free Griffiths Park
A community-led hand-weeding trial in Hilton
Hilton Precinct’s Gardens, Verges & Trees (GVT) group is working with the City of Fremantle on a community-led trial to reduce the need for glyphosate use at Griffiths Park.
Instead of relying on herbicide to manage weeds in the trial area, local volunteers are regularly hand weeding and helping care for the park.
It’s a simple idea: if our community can help keep the weeds under control, can we reduce the need to spray?
How It Started
The idea grew from conversations within the Hilton community about the use of glyphosate in local parks.
GVT member and long-time Hilton resident Maxine Tomlin took those concerns to the City of Fremantle and asked whether the community could try a different approach at Griffiths Park.
The proposal was straightforward — volunteers would take responsibility for regularly hand weeding an agreed area of the park, giving the City an opportunity to trial managing that area without glyphosate.
The City agreed to work with us, and what began with a small group of volunteers has developed into an ongoing community trial.
Why Griffiths Park?
Griffiths Park is already a special place for Hilton.
Following its major redevelopment, the park includes extensive waterwise garden beds, thousands of native plants, established trees, nature play areas and a landscaped swale.
It has also become an important focus for several GVT projects, including habitat planting and Hilton’s first Cockitrough for black cockatoos.
The glyphosate-free trial is another opportunity to explore how community involvement can contribute to the way our local green spaces are cared for.
Working With the City of Fremantle
This project is being undertaken in partnership with the City of Fremantle.
The City continues to manage Griffiths Park as a public reserve, while GVT volunteers take on regular hand weeding within the trial area.
The City has also supported volunteers with large reusable garden bags. Once filled with weeds, the bags are left for City crews to collect and empty as part of their regular visits.
The trial gives both the community and the City an opportunity to see what can be achieved through a different approach to weed management.
Come and Help
The trial only works if we have people willing to pull a few weeds!
We hold regular community hand-weeding sessions at Griffiths Park:
Wednesday mornings
Sunday mornings
There’s no commitment to attend every session. Come regularly, come occasionally, or simply pull a few weeds while you’re already at the park.
No gardening experience is needed.
Bring gloves, water and sun protection and join us for as much or as little time as you can manage
More Than Weeding
One of the unexpected benefits of the project has been the community that has grown around it.
People stop for a chat, neighbours meet each other, children see people caring for their local environment, and a job that would be enormous for one person becomes achievable when lots of people contribute a little.
For us, the trial isn’t about declaring one approach to weed management right or wrong.
It’s about seeing whether a community-supported alternative can work at Griffiths Park — and learning from the experience.
