Regional Pest Plant Management Strategy
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MANAGING OUR ENVIRONMENT Regional Pest Plant Management Strategy May 2007 Acknowledgments The author gratefully acknowledges the contributions of Nick Singers, Andrew Wilke (Hawke’s Bay Regional Council), David Stephens (Environment Waikato), Billie Lunn, Alistair Beveridge, Maree Clark, Edouard Gayet, Don Clark, Dave Alker, Robert Bashford, Ray Brown, Craig Davey, Brian Drake, Ruth Fleeson, Neil Gallagher, Elaine Iddon, Joe Martin, Malinda Matthewson, Neil Mickelson, Noel Procter, Hilary Webb (Horizons Regional Council) Photographs Photographs were kindly supplied by Environment Waikato, Auckland Regional Council, NIWA, Rohan Wells, Department of Conservation, Clayson Howell, Weedbusters and the Environmental Management Offi cers - Plants (Horizons Regional Council) May 2007 ISBN: -1-877413-74-7 Report No: 2007/EXT/784 CONTACT 24hr Freephone 0508 800 800 [email protected] www.horizons.govt.nz Kairanga Palmerston North Dannevirke Cnr Rongotea & 11-15 Victoria Avenue Weber Road, P O Box 201 Kairanga-Bunnythorpe Roads Private Bag 11 025 Dannevirke 4942 Palmerston North Manawatu Mail Centre Palmerston North 4442 Levin 11 Bruce Road, P O Box 680 Marton T 06 952 2800 Levin 5540 Hammond Street SERVICE REGIONAL F 06 952 2929 P O Box 289 DEPOTS Pahiatua CENTRES Marton 4741 HOUSES Wanganui Cnr Huxley & Queen Streets 181 Guyton Street P O Box 44 Taumarunui P O Box 515 Pahiatua 4941 34 Maata Street Wanganui Mail Centre Wanganui 4540 Taihape P O Box 194 Torere Road, Ohotu Taumarunui 3943 F 06 345 3076 P O Box 156 Taihape 4742 Regional Pest Plant Management Strategy FOREWORD The second review of the Regional Pest Plant Plateau and a rationalisation of the Containment Management Strategy has resulted in a substantial objective with the Region’s biodiversity programme change to the document, which refl ects the changed geared towards the protection of high-value sites. nature of our business and a focus on what we will or The cost of implementing this Strategy is an important won’t be doing. Having said that, you will be seeing consideration for the council. Costs are covered from Horizons Regional Council the business you have through regional rates and land occupier obligations been used to around things like biological control, as imposed by this Strategy. The cost of managing enforcement of boundary clearance, provision of environmental pest plants is largely shared across the advice and information and importantly, involvement in Region, while the cost of controlling production pest community-led programmes. plant species will lie with the benefi ciaries and sectors Production values continue to be protected through of the community desiring specifi c outcomes. request-driven enforceable boundary clearance rules. We are expecting our community to be able to Three additional production pest plant species have check us on the following outcomes as we move to been included in the Surveillance Programme so implement the ideas expressed in this Regional Pest measures can be taken to avoid their introduction into Plant Management Strategy: the Region. • cost-effective, fl exible pest plant management The management of environmental pest plants has throughout the Region undergone considerable change, with Horizons increasing our responsibility for the management of • minimising of actual and potential adverse effects on these species, both through species-focused region- production and environmental values wide programmes and biodiversity initiatives in • protection and enhancement of indigenous high-value sites. The number of environmental pest biodiversity values plant species recognised as a threat to our Region and consequently included in the Strategy has increased. • enhanced awareness within the regional community of the many issues of pest plant management. It is appropriate that resources are channelled towards prevention of future problems, and therefore this Strategy includes a task-bound Surveillance Programme (searching for species not currently in our Region) and time-bound monitoring programme for species which are in our Region already but where we are uncertain on the degree of impact, or level of intervention required from us. Increasing our knowledge around these plants will enable us to make sensible management decisions going forward. Michael McCartney Garrick Murfi tt Horizons will continue to work with Biosecurity New CHIEF EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN Zealand in searching for new discoveries of a further nine species. Community involvement in the review process was high and has infl uenced the content of this Strategy. Changes that were brought about through the submission process include: the management of tutsan via a boundary clearance rule, the retention of variegated thistle in the strategy with an enforced 50 m setback boundary clearance rule, the removal of three production pest plant species no longer considered to be of considerable concern to the farming community, increased regulation around the removal of contorta pine from the Central Volcanic i REGIONAL PEST PLANT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ii REGIONAL PEST PLANT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY CONTENTS Foreword i Contents iii PART ONE 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1 1. Introduction to Pest Plant Ecology and Pest Plants in the Context of the Manawatu-Wanganui Region 1 2. Introduction to the Regional Pest Plant Management Strategy 3 2.1 Title 3 2.2 Administrating Agency 3 2.3 Purpose of the Strategy 3 2.3.1 Strategy Objectives 3 2.4 Area of Jurisdiction 3 2.5 The Preparation Process 5 2.6 Document Structure 6 3. Statutory Framework 8 3.1 Legislative Framework 8 3.2 Relationship with other Statutes 8 3.3 Relationship with other Policy 9 3.3.1 The New Zealand Biosecurity Strategy 10 3.3.2 The New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy 10 3.3.3 Department of Conservation Policy and Strategy 11 3.3.4 Horizons Regional Animal Pest Management Strategy 11 3.3.5 The ONE PLAN 12 3.3.6 Neighbouring Regional Pest Management Strategies 12 3.4 Effects of Strategy Implementation 13 3.4.1 Effects on Maori Values 13 3.4.2 Effects on the Environment 13 3.4.3 Effects on Marketing of New Zealand Products Overseas 13 4. Planning Framework 14 4.1 Key Principles of the Strategy 14 4.2 Assigning the Management Objective 16 4.2.1 Threat Assessment of Pest Plant Species included in the Strategy 16 4.2.2 Infestation Curve Model 17 iii REGIONAL PEST PLANT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY CONTENTS 4.2.3 Core Satellite Model 18 4.3 Site-led versus Species-led Management 19 5. Strategy Responsibilities and Obligations 20 5.1 Horizons Regional Council 20 5.2 Iwi 20 5.3 Stakeholders 5.3.1 Private Occupiers 20 5.3.2 Crown Agencies 21 5.3.3 Territorial Local Authorities 21 5.4 Transport Corridor Responsibilities 22 PART TWO 23 PEST PLANT MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES 23 6. Introduction to the Pest Plant Management Programmes 23 6.1 Defi nition of Pest Plant Management Programme Objectives 24 6.2 Implementation of Strategy Objectives 26 6.2.1 Agencies Responsible for Control 26 6.2.2 Provision of Advice and Information and Advocacy Initiatives 26 6.2.3 Compliance and Enforcement Process 27 6.2.4 Explanation of Strategy Rules 28 6.2.5 Monitoring the Objectives of the Strategy 30 6.2.6 Reporting on Monitoring 32 7. Production Pest Plants 33 7.1 Introduction 33 7.2 Management Objectives 33 7.3 Performance Measures and Monitoring 33 7.4 Production Pest Plant Species Listed in this Strategy 35 7.4.1 African Feather Grass (Pennisetum macrourum) 37 7.4.2 Australian Sedge (Carex longebrachiata) 39 7.4.3 Blackberry (Rubus fructicosus agg.) 42 7.4.4 Broom (Cytisus scoparius) 45 7.4.5 Chinese Pennisetum (Pennisetum alopecuroides) 48 iv REGIONAL PEST PLANT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY CONTENTS 7.4.6 Gorse (Ulex europaeus) 50 7.4.7 Nassella Tussock (including narrow Needle Grass) (Nassella trichotoma and N. tenuissima) 53 7.4.8 Nodding Thistle (Carduus nutans) 55 7.4.9 Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) 58 7.4.10 Tutsan (Hypericum androsaemum) 61 7.4.11 Variegated Thistle (Silybum marianum) 64 7.4.12 Woolly Nightshade (Solanum mauritianum) 67 8. Environmental Pest Plants 70 8.1 Introduction 70 8.2 Management Objectives 70 8.3 Performance Measures and Monitoring 70 8.4 Environmental Pest Plant Species to be Controlled Under this Strategy 71 8.5 Terrestrial Environmental Pest Plants Management Plans 73 8.5.1 Banana Passionfruit (Passifl ora species) 73 8.5.2 Blue-leaved Wattle (Acacia saligna) 78 8.5.3 Blue Passion Flower (Passifl ora caerulea) 81 8.5.4 Boneseed (Bitou Bush) (Chrysanthemoides monilifera) 86 8.5.5 Cathedral Bells (Cobaea scandens) 90 8.5.6 Chilean Rhubarb (Giant Rhubarb) (Gunnera species) 93 8.5.7 Climbing Spindleberry (Celastrus orbiculatus) 97 8.5.8 Contorta pine (Pinus contorta subsp. contrta, Pinus contorta subsp. murrayana) 100 8.5.9 Darwin’s Barberry (Berberis darwinii) 107 8.5.10 Evergreen Buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus) 112 8.5.11 Ginger (Kahili Ginger Hedychium gardnerianum and Yellow Ginger H. fl avescens) 116 8.5.12 Grey Willow (Salix cinerea) 120 8.5.13 Heather (Calluna vulgaris) 124 8.5.14 Knotweeds (Asiatic Knotweed Reynoutria japonica and Giant Knotweed R. sachalinensis) 128 8.5.15 Moth Plant (Araujia sericifera) 131 8.5.16 Old Man’s Beard (Clematis vitalba) 136 v REGIONAL PEST PLANT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY CONTENTS 8.6 Aquatic Environmental Pest Plants Management Plans 140 8.6.1 Alligator Weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) 140 8.6.2 Californian Bulrush (Schoenoplectus californicus) 143 8.6.3 Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) 146 8.6.4 Containment Aquatic Pest Plants 149 8.7 Potential Environmental Pest Plants Management Plan 155 8.7.1 Means of Implementation 155 8.7.2 Performance Measures and Monitoring 158 PART THREE 159 OTHER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES AND INITIATIVES 159 9. Surveillance Programme 159 9.1 Objectives of the Surveillance Programme 159 9.2 Means of Implementation 160 9.3 Performance Measures and Monitoring 164 9.4 Pest Plant Species on Horizons’ Surveillance List 164 10.