The plant, infamous for ruining animal fibre and pelts, was found in Marlborough, Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay.
It was being reported on a growing number of properties, partly because of growing awareness.
The new Chilean Needle Grass National Steering Group’s chairman Warwick Lissaman said the weed was ideally suited to dry, east coast grassland. Its seed carried easily on anything from sheep and socks to bicycles and contracting equipment.
CNG was an erect, tufted perennial tussock that could grow up to a metre high when left ungrazed.
It produced seeds from three points on the plant: the panicle seed, mid-stem seed at leaf joins and at the base of the plant. Panicle seed was the most obvious and was usually present from November to January and, when conditions are suitable, from March to May.
“If it gets in your socks it will wind its way in (to skin) and you won’t get rid of it,” Lissaman said.
It was time for central and local government to move on from CNG awareness campaigns to a national response.
The Seddon farmer said over the past few years he had changed his thinking about the grass from seeing it as a biosecurity problem to an environmental danger and a threat to the sheep industry.
Biosecurity officials usually treated the tussock as just another noxious weed with limited impact. Similarly, the Conservation Department appeared to classify it only as an agricultural weed.
“They’re totally down-playing it. This is a pest of the highest level.”
If it became widespread on hill country, cattle and forestry might be the only options on traditional sheep territory. That could spell trouble for the environment as nutrient built up in waterways.
Lissaman’s 400ha farm was unaffected by the grass but he saw that as an advantage in a national debate about the danger.
“To carry kudos it had to be led by someone who didn’t have it. We will have that plant pest if we don’t address it.”
Environment Canterbury and Marlborough District Council had different policies for the grass, from a form of self-regulation and monitoring to proposed movement controls.
Lissaman’s steering group opposed bovine Tb-style controls on the transport of animals and farm machinery.
“To physically make sure that a seed doesn’t leave a property you would end up having to strip down a bulldozer to 100 different pieces. It would be virtually impossible.”
And machinery used on an infected farm would have to stay there.
“It’s creating a nightmare.”
Even if adopted, the measures would be pointless if the livestock industry, including meat plants, were not set up for rigorous monitoring.
As it stood, the safeguards were sporadic.
At the Wither Hills farm near Blenheim, for example, the public could use walkways year-round despite the grass being present.
“Some people locally and wider than there are saying ‘why isn’t this whole place shut down for parts of the year?’”
It was also worrying that a proposed public cycleway from Picton to Kaikoura appeared not to have taken stock of biosecurity risk.
“It’s a wonderful concept but has anyone thought about the pest plant Chilean needle grass?”
Whatever the control policies, they needed to be consistent between regions, Lissaman said.
The Ministry for Primary Industries had approved New Zealand Landcare Trust’s application for just over $200,000 to look at biosecurity risks on quake-damaged South Island farms.
Landcare South Island team leader Janet Gregory said it would use the funding to work with landowners, industry groups and researchers on control.
The conditions of MPI’s grant weren’t yet clear but Landcare hoped to set up pilot sites for field days, Gregory said.
Why is Chilean Needle Grass a pest?
Chilean needle grass is an invasive weed that can dominate productive pasture grasses and take over large areas if left, particularly in dry environments such as south Marlborough.
It was unpalatable to stock when the panicle seed was present from November to January and March to May.
The panicle seed attached easily to stock, particularly wool, and could dig through the pelt and muscle, downgrading pelts and meat as well as wool for export.
The seed could also penetrate lambs’ eyes, causing blindness and sometimes death.
Source: Marlborough District Council
There is a control plan
All Canterbury land occupiers with Chilean needle grass on their properties are required to eliminate all plants within five metres of a boundary and abide by the proposed management agreement.
Eliminate meant the permanent preclusion of the plant’s ability to set viable seed.
Parties to the management agreement must address, where relevant, the sale of sheep in known Chilean needle grass areas; inspect cattle, horses and deer from known needle grass areas before movement or sale and inspect dogs before moving them outside the property.
The land occupier must also heed protocols for vehicles, machinery and equipment including clothing and personal equipment.
The requirements also applied to the sale and movement of any crops; visitor entry and exit points, signs and access.
The rule also required land occupiers to notify Environment Canterbury of any stock movements, including the new location, beyond the property
Source: Environment Canterbury proposed pest management plan 6.4.8
The full version of the plan is available at ecan.govt.nz/pests
