Pat Neems of Wyatt’s Landscaping Supplies and weed action members, John Hawley and Belinda Vernon with Weed Action Piroa – Brynderwyns co-ordinator, Sara Brill
A free invasive weed disposal bin will be available in Mangawhai from Labour Weekend to the end of November for anyone who has a patch of garden plants with the potential to ‘jump the fence’ and endanger native bush and wildlife.
Located at Wyatt Landscaping Supplies at 107 Mangawhai Heads Road, the bin is the initiative of ‘Weed Action Piroa-Brynderwyns’ [WAPB,] in support of the local environment.
WAPB coordinator Sara Brill says the bin is to make it easier for people to tackle invasive weeds that were often planted in old gardens and to raise awareness of their potential harm.
“In older coastal settlements like Mangawhai there’s a lot of ladder fern, boneseed, lantana and wild jasmine. Some people probably don’t realise they are invasive weeds and a threat to the Brynderwyn’s flora, fauna and birdlife. If people have got a couple of trailer loads of golden wattle to get rid of, that’s going to set them back quite a bit and they’ll leave it, but if its free, they might think ‘let’s rip into that ginger or agapanthus.”
Once full, Northland Waste will transport the bin to their hot compost system near Whangarei, where the plants are mulched before being composted.
Sara advises that not all green waste is welcome. Bamboo, cabbage trees, flax and palm leaves are banned as they clog up the mulcher and slow down the operation. Nor is the bin for weeds from around kauri trees because of the risk of spreading kauri dieback or for lawn clippings and unwanted plants.