Gisborne District Council announces rural road closures and pest control measures

Slip repairs on Mangatu Rd near Whatatutu.

Gisborne District Council has announced a series of rural road closures and disruption for essential recovery works, which started this week.

Council staff are also removing the plant pest monkey comb from Stout Street between Pine and Elm streets over the coming week.

Road closures and works are happening between 7am and 5pm Monday to Friday. The affected roads will be open outside of these hours.

Hokoroa Road is being closed at the 7km mark from Monday to March 21 for culvert replacements.

Lavenham Rd is closing for dropout repair 500m south of the Tangihanga intersection from March 24 to June 3.

Two daytime opening times are scheduled from Monday to Friday - 7.45am to 8.45am and 2.30pm to 3.15pm.

Waimata Valley Rd will have up to 45-minute delays at the 22km mark from March 31 to April 4 and April 7 to April 11 for road widening.

As this work is weather dependent, keep updated on closures at www.gdc.govt.nz/road-information

For more information about the council’s recovery programme and scheduled works, go to www.gdc.govt.nz/our-recovery

Motorists travelling along Stout St are asked to take extra care between Pine and Elm streets where contractors will be removing a plant pest.

A section of road will be down to a single lane for a week so the invasive pest and notifiable week monkey comb can be safely removed.

Monkey comb is a fast-growing, climbing vine with heart-shaped leaves and cream and yellow flowers, although it has never been known to flower in New Zealand. It smothers other plants and forms dense infestations.

The only two wild sites of this plant in the country are in Tairāwhiti.

Council team leader for biosecurity Phil Karaitiana, says it is an incredibly tricky pest to eradicate.

A site infested with it on the Whanganui River was completely dug out and the soil sterilised before being returned, he said.

“It’s a little more challenging at the 345sq m Stout St site, which was discovered by chance by a council worker. With this area being on a bank - supporting the road and surrounded by urban houses - we are restricted as to how we deal with this,” Karaitiana said in a statement.

The plant matter will be removed with herbicides.

“It will be an ongoing project and is likely [going] to take a number of years to completely eradicate.”

Anyone who thinks they have monkey comb on or near their property should contact the council for eradication.