The Bay of Plenty Regional Council (BOPRC) is working hard this summer to make sure an invasive pest plant doesn’t establish and spread.

Alligator Weed can choke drains, exacerbate flooding, out-grow good pasture and, for our farming neighbours, cause significant issues for livestock if it’s eaten. It has been found on around 20 sites in east and west Bay of Plenty over the years.

There are also a few known kiwifruit orchards with the weed and the very co-operative orchardists are working with the BOPRC to help minimise the risk of its spread with good machine hygiene and regular monitoring.

Alligator Weed is deep rooted, very invasive and difficult to control with herbicides permitted for use in an orchard. It can also be difficult to identify as it dies back completely in the winter months, grows in a variety of habitats, and looks different in wet or dry forms.

KVH and the BOPRC ask orchardists to keep an eye out for the weed and report any signs or symptoms to the Council on 0800 884 880. Don’t try and remove it or kill it yourself as that may risk further spread.

BOPRC are also contacting high-risk properties (those that neighbour a known site or may have been in the floodpath of waters carrying fragments of Alligator Weed from a known site) over the summer to provide detailed information and advice.

If you want to know more about Alligator Weed, what it looks like, and what to do, visit the BOPRC website.