The caltrop plant, also known as puncture vine or cat’s head, has spread rapidly after recent rains, and council staff say it has become a significant problem for Rutherglen and Wahgunyah.

Council natural resource management officer Shay Simpson has advised all landholders to take responsibility for the control of the weed on their properties.

She said small patches of bindi could be removed by hand, if people took care to pull from the central tap root.

But larger areas would be best tackled with a chemical spray, available from rural supply stores.

Miss Simpson said the weed’s spiky burrs could pose a number of problems for land users.

“It has large wooden burrs that can puncture bike tyres,” she said.

“These burrs can be picked up by stock and can burrow into their skin.”

Bindis can also contaminate products such as wool and seed.

Miss Simpson said eradicating the weed required ongoing vigilance because it germinated in batches.

“The council would just like to encourage residents to control it where they can, on their properties and on nature strips,” she said.