CONSERVATION COMMENT Continuing the war against weeds

• Published date: 15 December 2021
• Author: Anne-Elise SmithsonAnne-Elise Smithson is an environmentalist from Auckland and Whanganui region enthusiast.
• Publication title: Whanganui Midweek

We are at war with weeds, and Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton is calling for the Government to lift its game

The environmental watchdog’s newly released report Space invaders: A review of how New Zealand manages weeds that threaten native ecosystems is the first ever review of its kind in our country’s history.

The investigation found that halting the “slow-motion botanical conquest” of our land has been hampered by inadequate leadership, limited information and haphazard and unco-ordinated actions. Legislation on what introduced plants should be prioritised as targets for action, is absent.

You could say New Zealand is a poster child for the havoc brought on by weeds. Since early settlers first began transposing exotics...