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Far North District Council completes a significant quantity of work each year in order to reinstate roads and roading structures from damage as a result of heavy rainfall events and unstable ground conditions in some areas.

These works are normally catogorised into two types:

Immediate Response

These basically consists of the clean up work involved in removing overslip material and restoring roads to a trafficable condition as soon as possible.

Permanent Repairs

These are generally the result of underslips and often require significant investigation and design by Geotechnical Engineers.

In recent years Far North District Council have increased the expenditure on slip repair work to approximately $1.5 million per annum to help address the quantity of work required throughout the district.

With the large amount of expenditure needed to repair all of the sites, Far North District Council have developed a prioritised inventory to ensure the highest priority sites are completed in a timely manner.

 Roading Accident Register

It is important for statistical purposes that all accidents or near misses ( regardless of how minor)that occur where the condition of the road could be considered as a contributing factor rather than driver error are recorded.This can include wandering stock or animals that have wandered onto a road. For this purpose council has an accident register. Please contact our customer service to report such incidents.

Overweight vehicles

Numerous bridges within the Far North District have weight restrictions for heavy vehicles due to current structural conditions. NB - These are re-evaluated annually.

Should a member of the public wish to request an overweight permit, please contact GHD Consultants ph 09 4013568 for the situation to be evaluated.

There is a fee for the situation to be evaluated.

 No spray register

What is it and how does it work?
The No Spray Register has been set up by Far North District Council for residents who prefer the road berm outside their properties not to be treated with herbicides for weed control. Customers who wish to join the no spray register must agree to undertake their own weed control on the berm outside their property.

Herbicide control is undertaken by contractors engaged by Council who are aware of the "no spray" addresses. Where requested, the contractors will endeavour to contact "no spray" customers 1 week prior to spraying in their area. However, contact may not always be possible if customers are not home. (Weed control for road berms and footpaths is carried out four times annually in urban areas and 4 times annually in the commercial centres.)

All roadside spraying is advertised in Public notices.

How do I register?
Customers can join the no spray register if they are prepared to remove weeds on the road reserve outside their property, but unfortunately we cannot take these requests over the phone. You are required to write to the Consultants GHD - Roading & Drainage Network and Management for Council requesting to be placed on the "No Spray list".

GHD Limited

PO Box 672

Kaikohe 0400

You must include the following in their written request:

Name, address and contact phone number(s);
A statement that they agree to maintain the berm;
A request for the contractor to contact them prior to spraying in their area (if necessary);
Any specific instructions they would like passed onto the contractor.
How do I cancel or alter my no spray status?
Requests to be removed from the no spray register, or to have details or instructions to contractors changed, must be made in writing to the Consultants GHD - Roading & Drainage Network and Management for Council.

Complaint where you believe you have come into contact with spray from a Council contractor.
How were you first aware that you had been "sprayed"?
When did the incident happen?
What exactly happened?
What were the weather conditions at the time?
What was the wind strength and direction?
Who was spraying, and what equipment was used?
Was there any noticable colour or smell of spray?
Do you have any symptoms?
If so, what was the time lapse between spraying and symptoms? Customer Service will check if the contractors were spraying in the area at the time and cofim what spray was used, then contact the customer to advise in case you need to pass this infomation to your doctor.

 To log a Request for Service for repairs or maintenance please contact our customer service by phoning 0800 920029, by letter, in person or by our website ask.us@fndc.govt.nz.

Please note if your request for service is about a State Highway please phone 0800 111655

Noxious Plants & Weeds

The FNDC considers the following plants as noxious

• Pampas
• Wild Ginger
• Gorse
• Privet
• Wooly Nightshade
• Broom

Wild Ginger

Wild ginger has large glossy green leaves in a bush up to 2 metres high. It has large highly scented yellow flowers with orange stamens.

To remove wild ginger:

• Dig it out - every piece of root must be dug out as any left will grow back.

• Cut off all flower heads and dispose of carefully - these seed anywhere.

• If you can't physically dig it out, cut off the flower heads and spray the plant with Escort spray (Escort is not available at local garden centres. It can be purchased from a farming supplier like Wrightsons).

• If ginger is growing in water it is better to get a professional weed contractor (refer customer to Phone Book) to poison it.

Advise that the customer contact the Northand Regional Council for more information about weed control.

Privet

There is no legal requirement to remove privet. The NRC makes and enforces the rules regarding plant pests - customers can obtain further information on privet from Northand Regional Council .

Plants & weeds list

The Northland Regional Council (NRC) produce plant pest leaflets and brochures. Contact Northand Regional Council

Request for Council to spray or remove weeds on Council property

Council has a schedule of works for the removal of weeds from council property.

 Request for Council to remove or enforce removal of weeds on private property

Council does not remove weeds from private land or force landowners to remove weeds, and will not become involved in disputes between neighbours over, say, a hedge of bamboo or privet. 

The NRC however may have the authority to enforce the removal of certain weeds on private land. Advise customer to contact Northand Regional Council for further information.

 What does Council use to spray weeds?

Council uses the lowest toxicity sprays available. All urban roadsides are sprayed four times yearly with Round Up (Glyhphosate) and herbicides are also used in Parks. For further information - handover to Contract Monitoring Officer

 Advice and assistance on removal of weeds from private property.

Northand Regional Council have good advice on pest and weed removal on private land, and on the use of sprays. 

NB: Assistance is not available if the customer is required to remove the weeds as part of a resource consent or if NRC has required that they remove the weeds.

Assistance with legal protection of bush

Council has a covenant for those interested in legally protecting the bush on their property - if customer wishes to pursue this option - please ask to speak to a Resource Planner.