Tauranga City Council is holding a press conference this morning where staff are expected to reveal the cause behind the death of Mount Maunganui's iconic Norfolk Pines.
It is understood the council's own spraying programme is responsible.
Council staff have discovered the deaths were caused by TCC's spraying of broad-leaf weeds around the roots.
SunLive understands council staff were finding they had to use increasing amounts of spray because the broad leaf weeds were building up a resistance.
A number of the Norfolk pines along Marine Parade and in Pilot Bay were seen to be ailing in July 2013.
Rotorua based Scion Research was called in and identified a soil pathogen phytophthora multivora as being a possible cause.
A treatment trial was carried out in October and the results reviewed in January this year. It doesn't seem to have had any effect. The two worst effected trees have continued to decline.
More information soon.
17 comments
Surprise surprise
Posted on 01-10-2014 10:29 | By Murray.Guy
I recall the repeat and obvious evidence of this potential impact many months back as folk queried why the on-going use of sprays in preference to a quick flick with a weed eater!
Wow
Posted on 01-10-2014 10:32 | By YOGI BEAR
While they are at it perhaps they could also explain the death of the CBD, the heart of the city as well?
Botchup!
Posted on 01-10-2014 11:13 | By Raewyn
What next can the Council ruin?
Overit
Posted on 01-10-2014 11:35 | By overit
Why dont they take the time to pick them out with a sharp knife like I do with my lawn. Everything is spray, spray, spray these days.
Sweet!!!
Posted on 01-10-2014 11:37 | By Sambo Returns
just goes to show the councils "tree policy" works, now can we start on way to many pohutukawa trees.
More chemicals will solve the problem? Yeah, right!
Posted on 01-10-2014 12:21 | By Croaky
The council is saying if they had access to MORE chemicals there wouldn't be "resistance" to the ones they are using (where's the proof of resistance?) but I hear the same thing is happening in other councils' areas with no limits to numbers or types of chemicals used. So ANY anti-broadleaf herbicides might cause collateral damage - the council can't guarantee otherwise! I'm aware that TAAF have been warning against the over-use of these chemicals for years and here we have proof of what can happen. Who knows what other ill effects these sprays are having on our health - so we have to wear shoes when walking on the grass to avoid getting poisoned by chemicals rather than to avoid getting prickles in our feet. Go figure!
Who Pays?
Posted on 01-10-2014 12:58 | By tabatha
I suppose once again the ratepayer is paying because of some error. Denial was made at the beginning, no admission means removal and replacement. Have always admired the Norfolks on both sides. Now it will take a while to fix. Hope that all action is now being taken to stop this happening again. Full disclosure to all other Council Bodies to stop it happening else where in NZ. I presume no insurance for this. A sad day for all.
Norfolk
Posted on 01-10-2014 13:35 | By Capt_Kaveman
pines are ugly anyhow and all need to be chopped and replaced with pohutukawa and as for sprays well TCC should not be using them
Manpower
Posted on 01-10-2014 14:49 | By DAD
Give the workers a hoe like the rest of us use in our gardens, I think they afraid of real work! To hoe is also good for shrubs and trees as it aerates the soil! Give the trees a bit of time they might recover!
Manpower
Posted on 01-10-2014 14:49 | By DAD
Give the workers a hoe like the rest of us use in our gardens, I think they afraid of real work! To hoe is also good for shrubs and trees as it aerates the soil! Give the trees a bit of time they might recover!
D for ....derrr... Dunces!
Posted on 01-10-2014 17:37 | By yikes61
Reserve mgt need to take an IQ test on basics of plant care and take responsibilty. Contractors need to pull their heads out of the sand and question what they do sometimes and the council accountants need to realise that the quickest and cheapest option is not the best. Council weed control budgets have been cut again so we can what.....chase stupid ideas like plastic Wakas, pay consultants to follow up stupid ideas and pay consultants/airy fairy types
Ask Stuart
Posted on 01-10-2014 20:52 | By usandthem
According to our esteemed mayor the cause was the Christmas lights that were put up each year and that's why they are not put up anymore.
And the person..........
Posted on 02-10-2014 00:10 | By groutby
responsible for implementing the spraying "programme" is.......?? C'mon stand up...will we get to know (that person's name) as the employers of this person?
@Groutby
Posted on 02-10-2014 12:21 | By Paul Melhuish
As much as I agree that this is a monumental stuff up I think it rich to proclaim that the person who sprayed the trees should be named when you yourself, are hiding behind a pseudonym. Not a good look.
Testing
Posted on 04-10-2014 13:15 | By Avoman
Nowhere has anybody claimed to have tested tissue samples of the trees to see if the chemicals are present. Has this happened? If the weed spray is killing the pines why aren't all the other trees in the district dying? I am yet to be convinced.
'Norfolks' dying along Queensland Coast too.
Posted on 09-10-2014 19:58 | By Macka
I was on the Queensland coast recently, Burleigh Heads - Tweed Heads etc and all their Norfolks are looking just as sick as ours! Doubt it has anything to do with the sprays used!
Water
Posted on 12-10-2014 17:00 | By Raewyn
Personally the Pines have deteriorated since we had that long dry Summer. Give them water regularly and they will be fine .An underground system that could be used when we have drought conditions
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