Myrtle rust found on four sites in and around Nelson
Myrtle rust has been found on ramarama and pōhutukawa trees in and around Nelson city. Severe infections of myrtle rust could kill affected susceptible plants and have long-term impacts on the regeneration of young plants and seedlings. A Ministry of Primary Industries surveillance team found the new infections on four sites in the area recently.
The airborne disease has spread from the North Island and was found in the South Island in Collingwood, Golden Bay earlier this year. Myrtle rust affects plants in the myrtle family, which includes pohutukawa, manuka, rata, kanuka, swamp maire and ramarama, as well as commercially-grown species such as eucalyptus, feijoa and New Zealand cranberry.
The spores are thought to have crossed the Tasman Sea from Australia to New Zealand on wind currents. Over the long term, 10 to 20 years, myrtle rust could affect iconic New Zealand plants including pōhutukawa, mānuka, rātā, kānuka, swamp maire and ramarama, as well as commercially-grown species such as eucalyptus and feijoa.
Severe infections could kill affected susceptible plants and have long-term impacts on the regeneration of young plants and seedlings.
Read the full story here.
Image: MPI
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Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
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Scam Alert: Bank cold calls
ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.
🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.
Remember, banks will:
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes
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If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.
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