Huge weeds are growing into a thorny problem
A wall of weeds that has been left to grow unchecked for several years is now ten metres tall and beginning to spread to neighbouring homes, it has been claimed.
Tony Parker says the land in New Plymouth is such an an eyesore he has complained to the Taranaki Regional Council.
But the council says it cannot take action because it cannot find who owns the site, on the corner of Junction St and Lower Branch Rd.
And as a result the weeds, which include wild ginger, mature gorse and woolly nightshade, are getting ever bigger.
‘‘It’s all seeding now - there’s a little stream running down there,’’ Parker said. ‘‘The neighbours are having problems.’’
Neighbours complained ‘‘several years ago’’ and the weeds were cleared by chainsaw, but no followup poisoning was done, Parker said.
When he complained to the council again recently he was told ‘‘it is Maori land and that they could find no one to accept responsibility’’.
The weeds had grown more than 10 metres high in some places, he said.
Environment services manager for Taranaki Regional Council, Steve Ellis, said the council had been aware of the problem for some time and had attempted to contact the multiple owners.
‘‘There is a large amount of woolly nightshade growing on the property,’’ he said. ‘‘However, under the council’s pest management strategy the control of woolly nightshade is voluntary and there is no rule requiring the landowner or occupier to control it.’’
He said inspections had identified wild ginger which was required to be controlled under the strategy. ‘‘The council will continue attempts to contact the multiple owners to advise them of the requirement to destroy the infestation of wild ginger on the property,’’ he said.