Police are cracking down on illegal cactus sales across New South Wales, fearing the weed could spread, causing harm to people and animals and rendering farmland useless.Fines can reach $220,000 for businesses selling illegal plantsprohibited from being sold in NSW
Those caught selling the plants could be hit with a $1,000 fine or up to $220,000 for businesses found in breach of the Biosecurity Act. Prickly pears were introduced to Australia on the First Fleet and by 1920 had infested more than 23 million hectares across NSW and Queensland. "You've just got to check who you're buying the plants from, and if they don't know the botanical name of the plant, then that would raise the first question for me."
a very thorny problem.