Old man’s beard

Taranaki Regional Council is calling on landowners and residents to help control old man’s beard. TRC environment services manager Steve Ellis said old man’s beard posed a significant threat to indigenous biodiversity and riparian planting along steams and rivers, with the potential to infest most lowland forest across the region. He said all residents need to destroy the weed on their property as required under Taranaki’s pest management strategy. There are exemptions within 50 metres of the Waingongoro and Patea Rivers due to highly infested areas, but those will be lifted once control operations in these areas have reduced the amount of the weed. Contractors will work along 16km of the Waingongoro River in Eltham, from Finnerty Rd to Stuart Rd, over summer. Different control techniques will be used including herbicide sprays, with approved concentrations, along with cutting and pasting vines. The operation will run until February 2018. The type of technique will be discussed with the occupier or landowner before it begins, Ellis said. TRC and Department of Conservation (DOC) will meet all costs of the initial control operations. The council provides technical advice and education to land occupiers and owners, undertakes property inspections, compliance monitoring and, when necessary, enforcement action to eliminate the pest plant.