Pest plant operations

It takes a group effort to successfully control pest plants across the region's land area of 813,005 hectares, maritime area of 786,700 hectares and the 497 kilometres of coastline.

As well as our operations, Department of Conservation, Ministry for Primary Industries, local councils and landowners are all involved in pest plant control. You can get involved in your local Weedbusters group to help control pest plants in your area. 

Target spraying of purple loosestrife

Find out about methods used to control pest plants, and tips 'n' tricks for you to control them.

We’re planning ahead and responding to current needs

The Regional Pest Management Plan 2019-2039 provides the strategic direction for managing biosecurity – pest plants and animals – in our region for the next 20 years. It has the flexibility for adjustments should situations with certain difficult pests change.

This plan builds on the legacy of the past 20 years of pest plant control, and outlines the strategy for future programmes. Animals and plants identified as pests are included under five management programmes:

1. Exclusion – stop them getting in: Alligator weed, Chilean needle grass, nasella tussock
2. Eradication – remove them over time:  Moth plant, Senegal tea, spartina,  velvetleaf, woolly nightshade
3. Progressive containment – reduce them over time: Purple loosestrife, wildling conifers, (European larch, Douglas fir and pine species)
4. Sustained control – stop them spreading: Blue passionflower, boneseed, climbing spindleberry, eelgrass
5. Site-led programmes – exclude them to protect specific vulnerable places: Banana passionfruit, cathedral bells, old man’s beard

Each year we develop operational plans which detail the day-to-day activities – what, where and when. This is available in September.

For information about pest plant operations watch for notices in newspapers, leaflets in your letterbox, and on our Facebook page. Look for signs in parks and reserves, and follow all safety information on any signs in the area.

As well as the pest plants targeted in the plan, we also control many species of pest plants in Key Native Ecosystem (KNE) sites, wetlands, parks and reserves. For an indicative list of these plants see Appendix 2 (p.89) of the plan.

Controlling Crimson joy in Queen Elizabeth Park, Kapiti Coast

The National Pest Plant Accord

We’re part of the National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA). This is a co-operative agreement between the Nursery and Garden Industry Association of NZ, regional councils and government departments including Ministry of Primary Industries and Department of Conservation.

The plants listed under the NPPA have been declared unwanted organisms under the Biosecurity Act 1993. This prevents their sale, propagation or distribution across the country.

Our biosecurity officers periodically inspect plant outlets and markets in the region to ensure that they are not selling any unwanted organisms.

More information

• Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research – all you need to know about the biological control of weeds and future developments 
• Agpest – a free online tool to assist farmers and agricultural professionals with pest and weed management decision making
• Ministry for Primary Industries – pest plant-related matters from the national biosecurity agency