Weed management policy

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Statement of policy

The general goal for weed management in Auckland City is:

To ensure that Auckland City meets its legal and community obligations for weed management on land it administers, in a manner that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

To achieve this goal Auckland City will:

Develop long-term management plans for weed management in natural areas. These will take a strategic approach, based on one of four defined management options, these being: prevention of establishment; eradication; sustained control; no intervention. Management plans will allow for initial control plus on-going maintenance and re-vegetation. Sites for weed management shall be prioritised. An integrated weed management approach shall be taken in which whole suites of weeds are managed together. High priority shall be given to weeds listed under the Regional Plant Pest Management Strategy and others listed in Appendix five - Weed species priorities in Auckland City (33kb PDF) of the Weed Management Policy for Auckland City.
Adopt the management method of sustained control for urban roadsides and other intensively managed areas of parks.
Upgrade the standards of berm edges, foopaths and kerbing in order to minimise weed invasion and to facilitate non-herbicide weed control.
Replace or remove, by 2005, all invasive weed species planted as specimen trees in parks, and as street trees within one kilometre of natural areas in parks and on private and other public land, subject to appropriate consultation, community approval and the provision of an accepted replacement planting plan.
Give preference to non-herbicide methods of weed control. Herbicides shall only be used where there are no practicable alternative control measures. Where herbicides are needed, their use should be regarded as being for initial control, with the long-term approach being that of non-herbicide management.
Ensure all urban roadsides are managed by non-herbicide methods. Weeds at the base of some trees are an exception and may be controlled by current methods where necessary until practicable non-herbicide methods of management, which do not damage the trees, can be established.
Ensure vegetation around play grounds in parks is managed by non-herbicide methods.
Ensure the following existing herbicide use restrictions are observed:
- Waiheke Island: no herbicide use at all, with a dispensation for bush reserves on application to the Waiheke Community Board and with provision of a long-term management plan.
- Great Barrier Island: no herbicide use on roadsides, except for specific environmentally damaging weeds and for non-spray application on tar seal edges and around culverts as required; no spraying in the vicinity of schools.
- Ellerslie: no herbicide use on roadsides or sports fields.

Continue to facilitate an on-going reduction in herbicide use in all other areas, to achieve a reduction, by 2005, of 75% of herbicide use (based on 1997 volumes of active ingredients) around street trees on urban roads, sports fields, sports park surrounds and intensively managed areas of premier and neighbourhood parks. Any continuing use must be based on the principle that herbicide is used only where there is no practicable alternative.
Adopt the following approach with regard to herbicide use:
1. Allow the use of the specific herbicides glyphosate, Escort or Versatil only, where their application is justified due to non-herbicide methods being deemed ineffective.
2. Any herbicide, other than glyphosate, Escort or Versatil, may only be used on approval from the Weed Management Group, based upon justification of need and the provision of a long-term management plan.
3. The following herbicides shall only be considered as a last resort control: amitrole, paraquat, simazine, methylarsinic acid (Pasma), haloxyfop, 2,4-D, dicamba, MCPA, MCPB, picloram, triclopyr; approval for their use will be given by the Weed Management Group only where application for their use is justified and a long-term management plan is provided.
Wherever herbicides are used give preference to non-spray methods of application, such as injection, painting, rolling or wiping.
Record all use of herbicides and collate the resulting information into annual usage statistics.
Ensure, wherever herbicides are used on Auckland City administered land, they are applied by registered chemical applicators, working in accordance with the Auckland City Customer Standards for the Use of Herbicides in Amenity Areas, and the NZS8409:1995 Agrichemical Users Code of practice.
Notify all herbicide use in Auckland City's City Scene newsletter no less than one week before work commences and within two weeks of application. An 0800 telephone number shall be established and updated daily to provide the public with information on any approved herbicide application. Advertised information shall include the location, likely time span and the herbicide being used.
Continue to provide a No-Spray Register for residents in locations where herbicides may be used, such as with street trees on the berm outside private property, residents adjacent to parks, or in any other circumstances where herbicides are used.
Maintain a register of complaints regarding herbicide use, with the information provided both to the contractor concerned and to the Weed Management Group.
Undertake an annual audit of the implementation of the Weed Management Policy and make the findings available to the public.
Establish a research programme for the development of improved non-herbicide management techniques, including co-operation with other government and non-governmental agencies.
Establish a monitoring process for recording the occurrence, location and abundance of weeds in natural areas throughout Auckland City, including information concerning new weed species.
Provide information to the public on a regular basis concerning weed species identification and non-herbicide control methods.

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Reviewed - October 2006