Stop the pests!

Projects to tackle pest plants in and around Le Roys Bush and Little Shoal Bay Reserves

The following page gives an overview of the LRB pest plant control projects over recent decades.

More information on identifying and managing weeds can be found on our web page: What's Good. What's Not which provides a link to the most serious weeds in and around Le Roys Bush.

Submissions on the Regional Pest Management Plan 2015 - due 27 November 2015

The Le Roys Bush Committee has been working on submissions on the RPMP in conjunction with other groups in the Kaipatiki Local Board area. It is hoped to get stronger controls on pest plants and animals to prevent the loss of native flora and fauna.

Download and adapt the following document http://tinyurl.com/rpmp2015 and send it to pestplanreview@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz by 27 November 2015

Little Shoal Bay Wetland Weed Control

The Le Roys Bush and Little Shoal Bay Management Committee in conjunction with the local Council and the North Shore Branch of Forest and Bird has been working for many years to eradicate invasive pest plants which threaten the native bush and wildlife in the reserves.

Because native New Zealand species are typically slow to colonise new areas, the remaining fragments are at risk from a wide variety of plants which have, in most cases, intruded accidentally into reserve areas.

Over many years, a small team of residents toiled to remove crack willows which was taking over the Little Shoal Bay wetland. However, unfortunately, because crack willow easily regenerates from fragments of branches and twigs, areas that were cleared of large willows, were being overtaken again by smaller regrowth. From 2007 we have been awarded CEF and other grants by the ARC to continue the fight to eliminate wattles, willows and pampas grass from the Little Shoal Bay reserve.

These grants have allowed the LRB Management Committee to employ EcoScience and control of willows and pampas grass is now well underway - but needs ongoing monitoring. Other weeds to be targetted over coming years in the wetland include privet, queen of the night, morning glory, moth plant, climbing asparagus, and a dozen others.

Ecological Framework

Since about 2008, the local Council Parks Department have funded an excellent weed control programme throughout all of the Le Roys Bush and Little Shoal Bay Reserves apart from the major part of the LSB wetland. This programme has made excellent progress in controlling weed pest in and around the reserves. Hopefully this will be an ongoing programme.

The Framework programme largely covers perennial pest plants. In addition, the LRB Management Committee runs various weed management programmes to control beggars ticks, thistles, etc.

Naturally Smarter

Since 2010, the Council has funded a programme to manage the water catchment around Valley Road and Seaview Ave. This has involved weed control and native planting in streams within the reserve and along the private property bounding the reserve. The LRB Management Committee has supported this programme with planting along Valley Road. The project has now wound down - and unfortunately some properties have regressed. Hopefully the Beyond the Fence project may help to turn this around.

Be a Good Neighbour - join the Beyond the Fence project

To achieve long term progress in eliminating pest plants, it is important to encourage good neighbour practices on public and private land. Since 2010, the LRB Management Committee has worked with private landowners in Maritime Terrace and the Council Parks Department to eliminate weeds on both sides of the boundary. Thanks to an EIF Grant, we were able to employ professionals to control privet, monkey apple and other pest plants on private property. Hopefully this is the first step in controlling the major seedbank of wattle and other pest plants in the south west arm of the wetland. In 2014, the Beyond the Fence project has got under way in several locations around Le Roys Bush to bring neighbours together to tackle pest plants and animals.

Click here for more information about the Beyond the Fence programme.

What else do we do

• We make submissions on the Auckland Council Weed Management Strategy (see below)

  • Our group runs a programme to control rats, possums and other feral animals

• Our group works with others and the area to promote bush restoration and weed control.

  • We aim to support local people working to reduce weed plants on development properties - this has occurred in two cases where land owners with no stake in the local community either allow or introduce weed plants in locations that are likely to spread weeds into the bush. Of particular concern are land owners who bring pest plants such as phoenix or bangalow palms into sections adjacent to a special ecological area. Such palms are anti-social - in addition to their harmful spines ,they attract rats and pigeons and also risk infesting an entire bush area. They are costly to remove when they get big. New Zealand's Landcare Research has classified the palm as a 'sleeper weed' - "a plant that spreads slowly and goes unnoticed until it becomes widespread". In Auckland, New Zealand, the palm has itself become a host for the naturalised Australian strangler fig, Ficus macrophylla. A permit is required to plant such trees - but we will lobby council to provide greater protection for our native bush remnants. While we recognize the right of people to choose the vegetation they grow on their property, it is to be hoped that Council will be progressively more proactive in preserving the environment that many people choose to live in. Just as farmers are required to control pest plants such as ragwort on their farms in the interests of neighbouring farmers, so local people should be discouraged from planting trees which spread "sleeper weeds".

Representations to the Auckland Pest Management Strategy

• • An important way to protect bush areas is to control invasive weeds on other property (whether private or public - eg road reserves) adjacent to the reserve.

  • The Auckland pest management strategy is, we understand, due for review and public consultation in 2015. We hope that all supporters of bush reserves will seek to have it enhanced so that property owners and developers are discouraged from having all the common pest plants on their property without a permit.

  • When the Le Roys Bush group made submissions on the pest management strategy, an expert from Te Ngahere presented on the risks presented by Phoenix palms to bush areas - with evidence from Whangarei. Others also presented on the risks of large agapanthus. At the time the 2007 to 2012 strategy was approved, both weeds were simply classified as "Surveillance". Since then the strategy has been amended due to further submissions made on these plants. Here is an excerpt from the updated strategy:

    • - Under the Auckland Regional Pest Strategy 2007–2012, the sale, propagation, distribution and exhibition of phoenix palm (Phoenix canariensis) came into effect 1 July 2010

      • - this includes Female and Male Plants

      • - can only be relocated under extreme cases upon an issue of an exemption from the Auckland Council Bio-security Environmental services.

      • - “A breach of these rules will create an offence under section 154N(19) of the Biosecurity Act, or may result in default work under section 128 and section 129 of the Act, or both.”

      • Rules of the act:

      • Rule 8.2.1.1

      • No person shall:

      • a) Cause or permit any species listed in Table 8.2a above to be in a place where it is offered for sale or is exhibited, except in accordance with Rule 8.2.1.2 below; or

      • b) Sell or offer for sale any species listed in Table 8.2a above, except in accordance with Rule 8.2.1.2 below; or

      • c) Propagate, distribute, breed, or multiply any species listed in Table 8.2a above or otherwise act in such a manner as is likely to encourage or cause the propagation, distribution, breeding or multiplication of any species listed in Table 8.2a above, except in accordance with Rule 8.2.1.2 below.

      • Rule 8.2.1.2

      • a) With respect to phoenix palm (Phoenix canariensis), Rule 8.2.1.1 is not applicable prior to July 1st 2010.

      • b) With respect to large forms of agapanthus (Agapanthus praecox syn. A. orientalis – large forms only), Rule 8.2.1.1 is not applicable prior to July 1st 2008.

      • A breach of these Rules will create an offence under section 154(r) of the Act, or may result in default work under section 128 of the Act, or both.

      • In addition to these Rules, powers under the Biosecurity Act 1993 allow Biosecurity Officers to inspect properties to remove these plants and carry out control.

      • For the purposes of the above Rules, ‘exhibited’ relates to exhibition in places where plants are offered for sale.

      • (vii) Exemptions

      • ARC is able to grant exemptions to the above Rules, in accordance with Section 80D of the Biosecurity Act 1993 (refer Section 16 of this RPMS for more details). This is particularly relevant for persons wishing to grow species such as arum lily for the cut-flower trade, or for those who wish to

      • (a) replace mature phoenix palm specimens which have high amenity value and/or “iconic” status or

      • (b) locate palms within a development. The use of male phoenix palms for this purpose is encouraged. ARC recognizes that it may be desirable for that reason to provide for propagation by ARC-approved nurseries under controlled conditions. Information on exemptions is available from ARC.

For details of weeds to target around LeRoys Bush - see

https://sites.google.com/site/leroysbushauckland/about-the-bush/what-s-good-what-s-not

Click here to read two subpages about pest plants

• Auckland Council Pest Control Policies

• National Pest Plant submissions Jan 2012