Community unites to control lakeweed

22 April 2003

Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) and the Otago Regional Council (ORC) will reinspect areas of Lake Wanaka for lagarosiphon lakeweed, after reports received at a special two-day weed workshop in Wanaka.

Officials from both agencies will look at the area around Mou Waho Island and check areas north of Roy's Peninsula, says Paul Jackson, LINZ Manager, Crown Property.

"It's our intention to remove any lagarosiphon weed we find in these areas. These areas are not high priority in LINZ's five-year management plan but it is important to be flexible and attack the weed where it becomes a problem. Our basic approach to controlling the weed will remain the same."

Paul Jackson says the Wanaka weed workshop, which finished on 16 April, had been a particularly useful event for LINZ.

"We've been alerted to reports of lagarosiphon weed in areas where it hasn't been before and we've seen a great deal of co-operation between all agencies represented at the workshop.

All parties now have a clear understanding of each other's position on how to deal with the weed and of the extent of lagarosiphon in Lake Wanaka."

The weed workshop gathered together all parties with an interest in controlling the weed, including the Guardians of Lake Wanaka, the Department of Conservation, the ORC, the Queenstown-Lakes District Council, Wanaka Community Board and a number of New Zealand's foremost scientists on lakeweed.

Paul Jackson says the workshop has seen all agencies commit to work closely in the future.

"The workshop really has allowed everybody to gain a common understanding of the issues and the options. LINZ is committed to working with the Wanaka community to control the weed spread. As always a key priority is controlling the weed where it impacts most on the public: boatramps; ski-lane access points; swimming areas and shorelines."

LINZ has hotline for the public to ring if they notice outbreaks of lagarosiphon weed in Lake Wanaka or other lakes LINZ administers: 0508 244 746.

For further information please contact:

Paul Jackson
Manager, Crown Property
Land Information New Zealand
Private Box 5501
WELLINGTON
PH: 04 460 0158
FAX: 04 460 0590
CELL: 027 249 1258
EMAIL: pjackson@linz.govt.nz

LINZ media liaison:

Michael Mead
Senior Communications Adviser
Land Information New Zealand
Private Box 5501
WELLINGTON
PH: (04) 498 3516
FAX: (04) 472 1864
CELL: 027 444 3901
EMAIL: mmead@linz.govt.nz

Notes for editors

Lagarosiphon facts

• Lagarosiphon major is an oxygen weed that has become established in many New Zealand waterways. It prefers clean, clear water, where it forms dense stands that out compete native vegetation and can cause problems for both recreational users and native species

More information

• More information on LINZ's weed programme is available on the LINZ site on the Crown Property/Biosecurity pages
• LINZ's magazine Landscan, in the March 2003 issue, has a series of articles on LINZ's weed programme. Hard copies are now available and Landscan is available on LINZ's Internet site