Community Board Grant Allows Privet Tree Removal

Privet trees marked for removal by contractors.

Northland Treeworks felled 10 large Privet trees along the Wairoa Stream track, which was funded by a grant of $2,898 from our Bay of Islands / Whangaroa Community Board and follows a Community Board grant last year to fell 8 large Privet Trees, for which Friends of Wairoa Stream (FOWS) is very grateful. The felling was delayed for many months because of the about 1300 mm of rainfall Kerikeri experienced between April and August, which made access for the contractors' machinery through a neighbor's paddock impractical. 

FOWS has an objective of making the Wairoa stream track as far as possible Privet and Taiwan Cherry (among other weeds) free. Felling by the contractor of large trees supplements removal by our own efforts. Privet is an invasive alien weed species that produces myriads of seedlings while mature trees were, in parts, forming the canopy and shading out new plantings and natural regeneration. It also affects some asthma sufferers.

Unfortunately privets are well established on the opposite bank on Council Esplanade Reserve, on private property, on DOC Kororipo Reserve (with Taiwan cherry), and all over Kerikeri, so continuing bird-distributed reinfestation is inevitable. Without a wider Council, DOC and community effort, privet and Taiwan Cherry represent Kerikeri's future forest in disturbed or recovering areas. Neglect by us all will be similar to neglected water pipes, unnoticed until the cumulative results of inaction are visible to all and expensive (think wilding pines in the South Island).