National Pest Plant Accord
Some plants in New Zealand are banned from sale and distribution. These are called pest plants – the new term for weeds.
These problem weeds are listed in the National Pest Plant Accord - a cooperative agreement between:
- the Nursery and Garden Industry Association;
- regional councils around New Zealand; and
- all government departments with biosecurity responsibilities (eg. Department of Conservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry).
All plants on the Accord are unwanted organisms under the Biosecurity Act 1993. These plants cannot be sold, propagated or distributed in New Zealand.
This is a national effort to stop the further spread of plant pests throughout New Zealand.
There are over 100 pest plants that cannot be sold, propagated (grown) or distributed.
For the most up-to-date list of banned pest plants, visit the Biosecurity New Zealand website:
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/pests-diseases/plants/accord.htm
Most of these plants were either accidentally introduced to New Zealand or imported as garden plants. Since then, they have escaped from gardens naturally or spread deliberately to other sites. These plants now pose an environmental problem – causing serious harm to our native environment and economic loss to producers of commercial crops.