Gum tree ban imposed

Press, 1 April 1985, Page 20

Gum tree ban imposed

Wellington reporter A complete ban has been placed on the movement of eucalypt gum plants and tree material out of the Auckland region, in an attempt to check the spread of a recently discovered insect pest. The Minister of Forests, Mr Wetere, said Auckland City and the south Auckland area had been declared an infected area. It would now be an offence to move any eucalypt

or oak plants, trees, leaf material, logs, or firewood out of the region until further notice. This step had been taken as a means of stopping the spread of the Australian leaf-mining sawfly. He said this pest attacked eucalypt species and could threaten commercial plantations. The sawfly had been discovered recently near Mangere Airport and had since been found in Mangere, Manurewa, and Pakuranga. The sawfly

“mined” the leaves of eucalypt trees and could cause severe damage. Forest Service staff throughout New Zealand had been alerted to check for any infestations in their areas, Mr Wetere said. Scientists were looking at control measures; there were no known predators or parasites in New Zealand although Australia had two effective parasites. The sawfly might be difficult to control by spraying.