Targeted spraying 'necessary'
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
Spraying is a ‘‘necessary’’ form of weed control, council staff say.
Targeted spraying is necessary to support braided rivers and to protect water ways and roadsides from invasive species, the staff said.
Environment Canterbury (ECan) river engineer Sam Kidner and Waimakariri District Council water environment advisor Angela Burton provided updates on their respective council’s spraying programmes at Monday’s Waimakariri Zone Committee meeting.
Kidner said targeted spraying of weeds helped Canterbury’s braided rivers to perform their natural functions, which improved flood protection.
ECan used glyphosate and herbicides to target weeds such as ivy, hops, lupins, gorse, broom and willows.
‘‘Lupins are less of a problem than gorse and broom or willows.
‘‘It is a matter of scale,’’ Kidner said.
‘‘If it is starting to push water in different directions then we need to respond.’’
A build-up of willows on an island, could prevent the river from braiding and, when in flood, it could divert water to riverbanks, causing erosion.
Responding to a question from the floor, Kidner says ECan has conducted trials using bulldozers as an alternative, but found it was not cost-effective and the bulldozers were not able to access all areas.
Kidner says by clearing the ‘‘fairways’’ in rivers, council staff could then manage weeds through spot spraying to allow native species to thrive.
Birds had returned to nest in areas where ECan had successfully completed spraying programmes, he said.
Sometimes flooding could clean up the rivers, but it was difficult to predict when floods would occur.
ECan also sprayed river berms and stopbanks to stop weeds getting out of control.
But he says the council is facing a constant battle.
‘‘Unfortunately not everyone does biosecurity checks on their vehicles, so we could get the rivers looking pristine, but seeds can be spread by vehicles and by other means, so it is still going to be an ongoing problem.’’
Burton says the Waimakariri District Council conducted spraying for roadside maintenance, planting maintenance and around waterways, drainage and water races.
But ‘‘non-chemical methods’’ were preferred, especially for drains.
Property owners could apply to have their street frontage added to the ‘‘no spray register’’.
‘‘Landowners are actively encouraged to not use spray on the land near gutters, but unfortunately it is not something we can enforce.’’
Burton included a report prepared by the Canterbury Waterway Rehabilitation Experiment (CAREX), a University of Canterbury initiative, in her presentation.
The report considered the ecological consequences of using glyphosate to control aquatic weeds in lowland waterways near Rangiora.
It found the ‘‘species richness of invertebrates and fish are not affected by the use of glyphosate’’ in the water ways, but Burton acknowledges it is not a large enough sample size.
As glyphosate spraying has been used for a number of years, any species found in the sample waterways would have some resistance, meaning the study may need to be compared with waterways without a history of spraying before drawing any conclusions.
Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
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50% No
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Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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