Kerikeri and weeds

Kerikeri has reached Australia for all the wrong reasons. The photo of weeds in Kerikeri was reported in Australian Yahoo News.  It is taken from the opposite bank of the Wairoa Stream public walkway near Alderton Park.

The photo depicts a wall-like range of Taiwan Cherry, Privet, Black Eyed Susan, Tobacco Weed and ginger. This Australian report does Kerikeri no favours. All these weeds are a prolific seed source and frustrate the efforts of Friends of Wairoa stream (FOWS) to keep the public walkway and plantings clear of weeds, not to mention Kerikeri in general. An ambitious goal of FOWS is to make the track the only weed-free area of Kerikeri which is possibly the weed capital of the world. 

Regenerating areas or uncared for plantings in Kerikeri show increasing evidence of becoming forests of Taiwan Cherry, Privet and Tobacco Weed, all faster growing than natives, supplemented by Moth Plant and Jasmine vine infestation, with an understory of ginger.  We recognise the Council has very limited resources.The Kerikeri weed problem needs Council, DOC and local residents all to do more to take control of our weed problem. There is a collective lack of civic pride.  

The Council needs to exhibit leadership and eliminate highly invasive Taiwan Cherry, ginger and gorse etc for example from the native plantings along the Heritage bypass, which is not a good advertisement for visitors to Kerikeri, and is a poor example for the community. With Council leadership community groups and the public may be encouraged to do more and save scarce Council resources.

Walking is a favourite Kerikeri pastime. If people as they walk or on their own properties, pull out seedlings of Taiwan Cherry, Privet  and Moth Plant etc this would contribute to reducing future seed sources and the burden later.