Local Paremoremo resident Cathy Bourne started working on the reserve opposite her house a few years ago in an attempt to clear it of the gorse that was getting so tall that it was leaning over the road. When Kim Ward contacted her to ask advice on how to get Council involvement to attack other weedy areas, the Pare ‘War on Weeds’ came to life.
The first project that Cathy and Kim tackled was on the corner of Elmore and Paremoremo Roads in September 2011 – 120 m long x 9 m deep of mainly gorse, cutty grass and Montbretia. The national Weedbusters group were able to assist with a rubbish skip and all the equipment needed to pull out and poison the pest plants. Kim and Cathy had 20 volunteers on the day and filled two skips.
They had 92 plants donated from one department at Council and have just been granted some funds to buy more native plants to completely revegetate the cleared area. Auckland Prison has generously offered native plants for free when Cathy and Kim come to replant in May 2012.
There are many areas of Paremoremo that need to be ‘Weedbusted’. Unfortunately Council rates do not cover the eradication of most common pest plants on roadsides and reserves, so it is up to keen volunteers to do the job. Anyone can organise a ‘Weedbuster’ day, and Kim and Cathy are very happy to help you if you want one in your immediate area. Kim has a large e-mail database of local people, and Cathy has had experience dealing with Council and Auckland Transport to ensure the correct procedures are followed.
Feel free to contact either Kim Ward on 413 9888 or Cathy Bourne on 413 8905 if you are keen!
