Photo 5593801, (c) Jerry Cooper, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jerry Cooper

Attribution © Jerry Cooper
some rights reserved
Uploaded by cooperj cooperj
Source iNaturalist NZ
Associated observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Koromiko (Veronica salicifolia)

Observer

cooperj

Date

November 24, 2016 07:44 AM NZDT

Description

This is a rant rather than a request for ID.
This is Hebe, planted some months ago in our local CCC managed reserve, and complete with 'plant guard'. A weed-eater has sliced through the guard and decapitated the plant. Plants without guards didn't stand a chance.

Our local reserve has had thousands of dollars spent on ecological restoration work and native planting. However, on three occasions subsequent 'weed eating' has undone some of that. Whilst restoraton is currently wining over 'destruction' this situation is not ideal, and not an isolated incident (viz Ernle Clark Reserve).

Christchurch City Council, if you want avoid bad publicity on an open forum like this then get your act together!
I do not like seeing my rate dollars being wasted in this way. Here's a few hints about what you might do to improve the situation ...

1) Ensure that at least one of the weed-eating gang know their plants,
2) ensure the foreman knows the site, and has relevent maps/plans,
3) ensure those maps/plans are kept up to date,
4) ensure the foreman recces the site and briefs the gang beforehand about the location of plantings,
5) equip the forman with a GPS/mobile data-enabled tablet or phone so they can make notes on your GIS, in the field, so repeat screw-ups don't happen.

I'm sure some of is probably SOP (at least I hope it is). If so then ensure SOP's are enacted. If these aren't SOP and are considered too expensive, then consider the balance between doing that and repeated pointless and expensive cycles of planting and destruction and bad publicity.

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