Current filter:
Pest plants in Hawke's Bay can harm our environment and agriculture. At the Regional Council we protect Hawke's Bay against these pests.
A large number of introduced plant species have naturalised in Hawke's Bay, to the extent that we have more introduced plants growing wild than our native species.
Many of these are considered weeds, but some cause serious harm to the environment or economic loss to agriculture. These serious weeds are called 'pest plants' and Hawke's Bay Regional Council has management plans in place, developed with community input, to meet the requirements of the Biosecurity Act 1993.
The strategy's objectives are to:
Gardeners might call a weed “a plant in the wrong place” but many weeds can have serious impacts on native bush, animals, pasture and people’s lifestyles. A good reference for identifying weeds is on our pest hub or on the Weedbusters website.
Pest plants advisors from the Regional Council can help identify invasive, unusual or unwanted pests on your property, and provide advice on control.
We have five staff around the region to help, with over 50 years’ experience in pest plants. Get in touch with the team on 0800 108 838.
Destroy any plants shown in this web site that are on your property, and as they appear in future.
The best way to dispose of unwanted pest plants is to compost, or dispose of them at an approved landfill or transfer station for deep burial. Root fragments, cuttings and seed heads can rapidly establish new plant pest infestations if they are dumped in areas such as native bush, stream banks, and along roadsides. They are also dispersed by birds, animals, wind and water and in the right conditions grow quickly, smothering native vegetation.
From time to time plants come into the region which quickly establish and can become pest plants.
We rely on Hawke's Bay residents to be our eyes and ears looking out and reporting unusual organisms so we can respond immediately. Whether you are a landowner, lifestyle property owner or urban resident, there are pest plants that will require dealing with at some time or another.
Under our Regional Pest Management Plan each each plant falls in to one of the following management programmes:
Sustained control - To provide for ongoing control of the subject, or an organism being spread by the subject, to reduce its impact on values and spread onto other properties.
Site led - The subject, or an organism being spread by the subject, that is capable of causing damage to a place is excluded or eradicated from that place, or is contained, reduced, or controlled within the place to an extent that protects the values of that place.
Eradication - To reduce the infestation level of the subject, or an organism being spread by the subject, to zero levels in an area in the short to medium term.
Exclusion - To prevent the establishment of the subject, or an organism being spread by the subject, that is present in New Zealand but not yet established in an area.
Progressive containment - To contain or reduce the geographic distribution of the subject, or an organism, being spread by the subject, to an area over time.
Comprehensive information on over 170 pests and weeds can be found in our online pest hub. This gives a description, images, management programmes, related links, control methods and rules for each pest. It also provide links to notify us about certain pests, and how to request more information about a pest.
+64 6 835 9200
159 Dalton Street. Napier 4110
Private Bag 6006, Napier 4142
Disclaimers, Copyright & Privacy
Disclaimers and Copyright
While every endeavour has been taken by the Hawke's Bay Regional Council to ensure that the information on this website is
accurate and up to date, Hawke's Bay Regional Council shall not be liable for any loss suffered through the use, directly or indirectly, of information on this website. Information contained has been assembled in good faith.
Some of the information available in this site is from the New Zealand Public domain and supplied by relevant
government agencies. Hawke's Bay Regional Council cannot accept any liability for its accuracy or content.
Portions of the information and material on this site, including data, pages, documents, online
graphics and images are protected by copyright, unless specifically notified to the contrary. Externally sourced
information or material is copyright to the respective provider.
© Hawke's Bay Regional Council - www.hbrc.govt.nz / +64 6 835 9200 / info@hbrc.govt.nz