Trish and Ray Ruffell received a letter from the Invercargill City Council in May, which requested them to remove plants from their property’s road berm.
They believed their property was significantly tidier than the neighbouring council land and that they were being picked on by council staff.
Mr Ruffell said despite almost all property owners in the area managing their berms in a similar way, letters were sent to them and only one other neighbour.
It was ironic some of the plantings the council staff member complained about were actually on council land, he said.
The couple were also confused as the same council staff who told them to remove the plants also said planting a hedge on the berm was acceptable.
"Somebody didn’t do their homework very well.
"I’ve planted trees and I’ve actually got the stakes there so it does look like new plantings, but [the letter writer] did say to us on the phone that, ‘you can have a hedge’.
"Well, how do you have a hedge if you can’t plant trees?" Mrs Ruffell said.
Native flax was growing wild on significant sections of the Awarua Bay Rd berm and most was already established when the couple moved into the property, she said.
"I keep trimming them, that’s why they’re small."
They had also discussed a maintenance plan with the council staff member but the plan was refused in case any future owners of the property did not honour it, they said.
Mrs Ruffell believed a precedent had been established by the mature trees already established on official council berms that had been allowed to stay.
"So why suddenly start picking on one person?"
They did not accept council’s claims their frontage was not presentably maintained.
Mr Ruffell said the unchecked gorse and weeds growing in the council-owned gravel pit and up to the road edge on the west side of Awarua Bay Rd were a significant fire hazard to all the residents as stolen cars were often set alight there.
"The prevailing wind is from that side, so any fire over there gets out of control — we’re all in trouble."
The couple believed plans to reclassify its reserve land surrounding their section were affecting council’s decision-making.
They were prepared to move the newly planted hedge if necessary, but they would like to leave the plantings as they were until the council tidy up their own sections.
"It’s the pot calling the kettle black.
Invercargill City Council infrastructure group manager Erin Moogan said staff recently inspected Awarua Bay Rd, which prompted the letters being sent to the resident.
"Council does not rate residents for maintenance of their frontage, like many other councils.
"We expect residents to maintain their frontage in a presentable manner," she said.
Ms Moogan did not comment on the state of council land or the wilding tree obscuring a road warning sign.
The area’s berms were last sprayed in April as part of its annual roadside spraying schedule, she said.
Ms Moogan had confirmed sections at 21 and 45 Awarua Bay Rd were in the process of reclassification so they could sell them.
The council has not responded to a Southland Express query of how it defined "presentably maintained" nor was it provided with what plans council had to maintain its land where wilding pines, gorse and noxious weeds grew unchecked, or when the road warning sign obstruction would be cleared.
- By Toni McDonald
