Post
Phone: 09 235 7835 Email: info@thepostnewspaper.co.nz Web: www.thepostnewspaper.co.nz
Tuesday, July 16, 2013 Vol 25, No. 26
200 trees removed as elm disease hits Kingseat More than 200 elm trees on the privately-owned Kingseat site near Drury have become infected with Dutch elm disease, making it the largest outbreak of the disease since its discovery in New Zealand in 1989. Dutch elm disease is spreading further south, with diseased trees recently destroyed near Appleby and Drury Hills Roads, Drury. Further outbreaks have been identified in South Auckland including: Rogers Park, Bucklands Beach; Lloyd Elsmore Park, Pakuranga; and the Manukau Memorial Gardens, Mangere. Auckland Council Arboriculture and Landscape Advisor, Simon Cook, says they assisted the property owner and manager at Kingseat to ensure the elms were safely cleared. “Kingseat is a historic character site with elms initially planted in the 1930s. It’s a shame that they will be losing such a significant number of trees. However, this demonstrates just how devastating the disease really is.” Dutch elm disease is usually spread by the bark beetle (Scolytus multistriatus) carrying fungal spores from tree to tree, or through the transfer of diseased tree materials, but can also spread directly through root grafting between neighbouring trees. All affected trees will be treated and removed safely and all equipment used will be disinfected to ensure the disease does not spread. Mr Cook says: “Given the speed at which Dutch elm disease can spread, and the fact that it’s nearly always fatal for affected trees, we’re taking every precaution to
ensure we remove the trees safely and contain the threat within Auckland.” The disease has caused a huge loss to the landscape in those areas affected by Dutch elm disease over the last season. If the disease moves into the Waikato, where elms are prevalent in urban and rural zones, then this landscape will also be depleted of these large and significant specimen trees. “I call on Aucklanders to check elm trees on their property, especially those around the Bombay Hills and Pukekohe, and report any suspected cases of Dutch elm disease they see in public places. New cases will become evident during spring, with elm either not coming into leaf or wilting rapidly after bud burst. “It is critical that elm wood is not carried outside Auckland, especially as logs or firewood. Elm material that is diseased will often harbour or attract bark beetles - it must be buried, mulched or burnt.” Residents are asked to watch for signs of elms with wilting, curling, or yellowing leaves; or dying or dead branches and trees. Dutch elm disease was first discovered in Myers Park, Auckland in 1989. The most recent outbreak was in October last year which saw 50 elm trees in Whitford removed. Controls prohibit the movement of elm material in and out of the Auckland area between the Bombay Hills and Albany. Storage of elm wood is also prohibited under the Biosecurity Act 1993. For more information on Dutch elm disease, visit www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or call 09 301 0101.
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Art at Waipipi A mural is unveiled at Waipipi School which sums up the feeling the artist PAGE gets in summer in the region.
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Drug gathering A good crowd turned out in inclement weather on Sunday morning at the PAGE Waiuku Town Centre for a rally to address the issue of synthetic cannabis.
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Waiuku College’s Jack Hardie runs the ball back against Alfriston on Friday afternoon. Waiuku came back from a 20-13 halftime deficit to win 35-20 in what was their last home game for the season.
Crash questions A Waiuku family is left looking for answers after a vehicle demolishes a power PAGE pole and part of their fence in the early hours of Sunday morning.
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Mangrove muddle
Brown seeks second term
Auckland Mayor Len Brown on Sunday announced he will seek a second term. “There is considerable work still to do to bring Auckland together, further strengthen our communities, and make this the world’s most liveable city,” he said. “Ratepayers want a fiscally responsible mayor setting the budgets for the region. In the first three years, while managing the demands imposed on us of moving to a single rating system, we have successively cut rate in-
creases. This year we are limiting average rate rises to 2.9 percent. In a second term, I intend to continue to deliver average rate rises of around or less than the inflation rate. “If re-elected, I will continue to focus on developing a more innovative economy while building links with our major trading partners in the Asia-Pacific region. Tourism is also an area the Council must focus on, alongside working with the government to tackle youth unemployment.”
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kitchens & design
The Post Newspaper’s facebook page (www.facebook. com/district post), opened just a couple of weeks ago, but attracted over 23,000 unique viewers in that time. The most-viewed article was our video clip about the fire station theft, with 12,000 viewers. Join us on our facebook site and enjoy our ‘PostLive’ video features on local events and happenings, plus some new features to be announced in the next few days!
Comeback victory
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The Post Newspaper looks at why the Mudlarks have been halted from workPAGE ing in the Waiuku Estuary, and finds its a complicated situation.
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Finalists found The finalists have been found in the Counties-Manukau Premier Rugby competition. We’ve got all the match summa- PAGE ries and who’s playing who inside this week.
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TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2013 PAGE 1
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