Identify pampas from privet with new user guide

For immediate release: 28 November 2012

A handy user guide to the pest animals and pest plants of the Bay of Plenty is now available to help identify which pesky creepers and creatures shouldn’t be growing in your garden or on your land.

Pests of the Bay of Plenty has photos and colour-coded classifications of the region’s pest animals and pest plants, to help people identify what they are and what their responsibilities are in either controlling or destroying them.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Land Management Manager – Rotorua, Greg Corbett, said the booklet is a handy resource for anyone who has trouble distinguishing their pampas from their privet.

“This is an update to a very popular booklet we first published about eight years ago,” Mr Corbett said. “From those who work on the land to those who want to make sure they’re not cultivating prohibited or restricted pests in their backyard garden, we’ve had a great response to it and we hope the updated version is just as popular.”

The booklet is a companion guide to the full Bay of Plenty Regional Pest Management Plan 2011 – 2016 and every plant and animal listed is accompanied by a colour photograph to make identification easier.

“The updated Plan has also introduced a classification system, which sets out the different levels of management that are required for different pests, according to how severe their threat is to the region.

“We hope that this makes it faster for people to work out what needs to be done should they have pests on their property. There is also support that the regional council can provide depending on the level of pest threat, and these details are included in the booklet.”

For pest control advice please call the Regional Council on 0800 884 880 and ask to speak to a Biosecurity or Land Management Officer. To download a copy of the booklet, visit our website www.boprc.govt.nz/environment/pests or call 0800 884 880.

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