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Last modified: 29 Jul 2020 10:46am

Image of a water race with a crumbling bank running alongside a road

The Council is reminding people not to spray the banks of water races with weed killer.

Blanket spraying of the banks with weed killers often leads to damage and can cause the banks and soil to slump in and wash away.

The Council has been become aware of a rise in the number of incidents recently where banks are being blanket sprayed. The slumping and the soil washing away leads to sediment in the water race. This can block up the water race, which leads to increasing risk of flooding, of contaminants in the water, and of damage to plant and animal habitats. Where these water races are near public land it also leads to potential damage of roads and footpaths and increases risk for people using the area.

Most water races flowing through private property are the landowner’s responsibility for maintenance. The Council appreciates landowners proactively doing their maintenance, but is reminding people to please only spot spray pest plants with aquatic approved chemicals and avoid blanket spraying of banks damaging the race.

For more information, see the water races page on our website, or contact our water races team by emailing waterraces@selwyn.govt.nz