Invasive weeds

The rural community are great at stepping up, helping out beyond their farm gate. These five legends are tackling arguably New Zealand’s biggest weed problem – wilding conifers. While some of us throw our hands in the air and call defeat, these farmers, foresters and fighters have taken on the problem and made it their own. As Ket Bradshaw puts it, together we can make a first step on something that is daunting. Words Jo Grigg.

The “sleeper weed” Chilean needle grass, if nothing was done to stop it, could spread through most of New Zealand and eventually cost the country over a billion dollars, according to newly published research.