Weeds priority concerns

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 285, 2 May 1989, Page 13

Weeds priority concerns

Present noxious plants authorities are concerned that weeds will be low priority for the new Manawatu- Wanganui regional council.

The authorities, whose activities will be taken over by the regional council after the local government reform later this year, expressed their concern in submissions to the regional transition committee recently. They believe that because regional council representatives are more likely to come from urban areas there is a risk involved in handing over noxious plants control to the council. They say noxious plants control is a

predominantly rural concern. At least for the first five years, say the authorities, the responsibility for weeds control should be in the hands of a rural services committee. The committee would aim to prevent the introduction of new noxious plants into the region and contain the spread of existing ones, to provide assistance to people who need noxious plants control services, to

generate public awareness of weeds problems and to advise landowners of their responsibilities in weeds control. The delivery of noxious plants control services should be dele-

gated to the new district councils, the authorities have submitted. They feel the district councils will have the staff with the necessary expertise and the administration in place to handle the work