3 Sep 2014

Reg Council 'on top of pests'

4:27 pm on 3 September 2014

Waikato Regional Council says it is on top of pest control and eradication even with more undesirable plants and animals being added to the list.

The Council's new pest management plan now identifies 150 pests.

While much of the plan is similar to previous years, it does now include Canada Geese, wild turtles and the highly-invasive shrub Tutsan.

The Council Natural Heritage Programme Manager Kevin Collins said there are many reasons for an increase in the number of pest species.

Mr Collins said people become more responsive and responsible about pest management once they become aware of the potential threats to the economy and the environment.

"I think the trick really is to prioritise which pests are the most serious and which ones you can realistically do something about," he said.

"We often hear from people who would love us to have most than 150 pests in our booklet but the reality is we just won't have the resources to control them all."