Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Noxious grass spread could have devastating consequences for Hawke's Bay

By Laura Wiltshire
Hawkes Bay Today·
12 Nov, 2018 05:33 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Chilean Needle Grass has possibly made it to the Tukituki flood plain. Photo / File

Chilean Needle Grass has possibly made it to the Tukituki flood plain. Photo / File

A former regional councillor says council needs to "lift the game" in response to a noxious grass' spread around the region.

Chilean needle grass is an invasive species, with sharp, needle like seeds which can bury themselves in the skin and muscles of livestock.

Former councillor Ewan McGregor said the response to the grass had been lacking for years and he feared for the sheep industry if the problem becomes rampant.

"I believe that the regional council should have a dedicated Chilean needle grass (CNG) project focused solely on CNG, within its overall pest strategy."

"The time has come to lift the game substantially."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said HBRC should send high quality, life-sized images of the grass to landowners across the region, requesting they be placed in a common place on the farm, so that everyone involved in the farming operation can be vigilant.

This could mean control measures could be carried out as early as possible.

He said he had heard the grass had spread into the Tukituki flood plain, which was concerning as waterways were an easy way for weeds to spread.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Flood waters could pick up the seeds, spreading the grass throughout the region.

Regional council chairman Rex Graham said he had learned of the possible infestation when McGregor contacted him on Thursday night.

He said the regional council was looking into it, but he hoped the grass had not made it to the flood plain, as it would be devastating to the region.

Regional council Biosecurity Team Leader for Plant Test, Darin Underhill, said they were aware of the needle grass on several properties on the Waipawa River, which feeds into the Tukituki.

Discover more

NEET levels remain highest in the country

12 Nov 05:08 PM
New Zealand

Farmers warned of tinder-dry summer

12 Nov 05:13 PM

Two developments to boost elderly housing

12 Nov 05:00 PM

Cricket: Schaw posts first half century

12 Nov 02:10 AM

The regional council was also aware of a few other cases along the Tukituki River itself.

However, he said some of those cases had been problems for 40 or 50 years.

He said there was another type of grass called Ripgut Brome which looked very similar, and was found extensively along the river.

His advice was if anyone saw the needle grass, to contact the regional council and they would come down, check it, and help them put in plans to manage the situation.

Hawke's Bay Federated Farmers president Jim Galloway said farmers would like to see more readily available information on the issue, such as maps showing infested farms.

"If we're buying stock we need to know it it's coming off a farm with it, because that's one of the main transfer methods."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said the issue was not well known or documented at the moment.

"That is something we would like to see more of."

He said it was also important to be respectful of your neighbours if you already had the needle grass on your property.

"It's being aware and respectful of boundaries, if you've got it make sure, you're not sort of, potentially spreading it into the neighbours."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

'Hard to understand': Candidate on council's $5m water meter plan

08 Jul 06:00 PM
Premium
Hawkes Bay Today

Written warning for council employee over dead possum in drinking water reservoir

08 Jul 06:00 PM
Hawkes Bay Today

Central Hawke's Bay Mayor seeks fourth term amid election challenge

08 Jul 06:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

'Hard to understand': Candidate on council's $5m water meter plan

'Hard to understand': Candidate on council's $5m water meter plan

08 Jul 06:00 PM

Alison Amboy says water metering decision by council left many surprised.

Premium
Written warning for council employee over dead possum in drinking water reservoir

Written warning for council employee over dead possum in drinking water reservoir

08 Jul 06:00 PM
Central Hawke's Bay Mayor seeks fourth term amid election challenge

Central Hawke's Bay Mayor seeks fourth term amid election challenge

08 Jul 06:00 PM
Premium
Hastings quarry buys neighbouring vineyard for $3m to expand operation

Hastings quarry buys neighbouring vineyard for $3m to expand operation

08 Jul 06:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP