This is an automated response, just to let you know we’ve received your
email/form.

We will pass your message on to the team and they will get in touch with
you as soon as they can.

 

If you require immediate attention, please telephone 0800 932 463

Tēnā koe,

Thank you for contacting us. Your request has been logged under the Local
Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.

We will respond to your request as soon as possible and in any case no
later than within 20 working days.  

You can also call us freephone 0800 932 463. Please quote Request No.
OIA220393 if you require any further information.

If you would like to notify us about anything further regarding this
matter, you can reply to this email.

Ngā mihi,

Whangarei District Council

--EmailIdentifier---eyJJSWQiOiIxZTFjYmJiNS0zOTI1LTQ3ZmMtOTFlOC03N2RkYzAzZTY4ZjciLCJIIjoiISFIQVI3UVdZUmhxSU1YV1JhU1hUSUM0In0=---EmailIdentifier--

Tçnâ koe Ms Woods,

 

I refer to your request of 5 July 2022 for information regarding the
Council’s herbicides spray schedule. Your request was referred to the
Northland Transportation Alliance for consideration and the answers to
each of your questions is as follows.

 

 1. Can you please provide a plan or schedule of roads in the District
that Council sprays with herbicides as part of their roadside
maintenance programme.

o All road verges in the contract area (the Whangârei District area),
rural and urban, are treated 2 or 3 times a year. There were 2
rotations undertaken in the 2021/22 financial year (1^st July 2021 ->
30 June 2022).
o Any lengths that are registered with WDC as “no spray”, or are
maintained by other means, are excluded from treatment by Council’s
contractors. Exclusions in the rural area are predominantly mown or
planted in trees and shrubs. Many urban berms are kept to a high
standard by residents or other contractors so the urban spraying is
mostly around the kerb and channel, road surfaces and drains.
o Noxious Pest plants are treated at various sites when ordered. There
was relatively little of this work in this last year.
o The contractor is required to keep the vegetation down to a certain
level and so spraying occurs as necessary. Spraying will normally
occur in spring and autumn, but may require another round at the start
of summer if there is excessive growth.
o The contractors are required to manage the vegetation on all District
roads, except the no spray areas as detailed above. It is their job to
assess the roads and spray accordingly to ensure the standards are met
and will continue to be met until the next round of spraying is
required. If they do not do this properly, then they may be required
to spray again earlier than intended. Our staff audit the
effectiveness of the spray round after it is completed to reduce the
likelihood of this occurring.

 2. Can you please advise what sprays are used in Councils management of
the roadside and the quantity used.

o Sprays used differ between 2 separate contractors (and contracts) held
by the council for this work. The quantities shown below are for a
single round of spraying of the urban and rural network.

Contract area 1

Contract Area 2

      

 

 3. Can you please advise the annual cost of the herbicides used in the
roadside maintenance programme.

o The cost of the roadside spraying activity on all district roads
equates to $127,429 per annum for 2 rounds of road spraying.
(2020/21).
o Council pays for the roadside spraying activity per kilometer of road
sprayed.
o A breakdown of the individual herbicide costs is not provided to
Council by the contractors.

I hope this information is of some assistance in responding to your
request. If you believe we have not responded appropriately to your
request, you have the right by way of complaint, under section 27(3) of
the Act, to apply to the Ombudsman to seek an investigation and review of
the decision.

 

Regards

 

Calvin Thomas

General Manager | Northland Transportation Alliance

Far North  |  Kaipara  |  Whangarei

[1][email address]

  

Mâ te mahitahi ka waihanga te huarahi e manaaki ana i te tangata puta noa
i Te Tai Tokerau

Collectively creating better, safer and more accessible journeys across
Northland

 

 

The Northland Transportation Alliance is a partnership between all four
councils within Northland and Waka Kotahi (NZTA). The information
contained within this email may be confidential. Therefore, if you have
received this in error, you should delete it immediately and advise the
sender noting that information contained within this communication should
not be used or transmitted in any format.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]