Dumped waste aids spread of invasive weed

MARTIN DE RUYTER/Nelson Mail

UNWELCOME VISITOR: Department of Conservation ecologist Simon Moore with an example of the invasive weed Mexican daisy on the Centre of New Zealand walkway.

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People dumping garden waste are being blamed for an infestation of Mexican daisy weed scattered over at least 6 kilometres of coastal cliffs north of Nelson.

The Department of Conservation is appealing to the public not to dump garden waste in natural areas to prevent invasive weeds, such as Mexican daisy, damaging the environment.

The daisy was found growing in scattered pockets along coastal cliffs north of Delaware Bay in an area of Mt Richmond Forest Park.

Department ecologist Simon Moore said it had probably spread from garden waste dumped at Hori Bay, and had extended southwest towards Pepin Island, with some scattered pockets also to the northeast.

Mexican daisy is found in many household gardens in the Nelson region. Because it is so invasive, it is often considered a weed and is a major plant pest in natural areas. It produces masses of light, fluffy seeds spread readily by wind.

Mr Moore said the area between Delaware Bay and Cape Soucis offered some of the best examples of native coastal cliff and bluff vegetation in Tasman Bay, but it was at risk of being smothered by the Mexican daisy.

The Mexican daisy was entrenched on the cliffs, was set to spread further and was beyond control, he said.

He said the plant had also become an uncontrollable weed in parts of Abel Tasman National Park and significant time and resources were being put in to try to control it on Golden Bay's Mt Burnett, where it was threatening unique dolomite shrubland.

Invasive weeds, such as the daisy, that were dumped as live garden waste could reproduce and spread beyond where they were dumped and were capable of escalating into a huge environmental problem, Mr Moore said.

He said garden waste should be disposed of at council rubbish centres or other approved landfills, or it could be composted, although care was needed, as many weed seeds survived being composted.

Advice on weeds and how to correctly dispose of garden waste can be found on the Weedbusters website, www.weedbusters.co.nz. Information is also available at council and Department of Conservation offices in the region.

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