Jane Nees BOP Regional Councillor www.janenees.co.nz

Last week I attended the official opening of a collaborative initiative between Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.

A new regional pest plant collection was unveiled at the Windermere campus of the polytechnic in a purpose built 'poly-tunnel” which was jointly funded between the regional council and the polytechnic. The poly-tunnel will hold about 100 different species of pest plants from around the region.

This is an example of a win-win through collaboration. For the polytechnic, the inclusion of the pest collection adds another learning dimension to their training orchard, research orchard and student gardens, and complements new learning facilities for approximately 40 full-time horticulture students.

For the regional council, which has a statutory role in the management and eradication of specified pest plants within the Bay of Plenty, it will help educate the public on the identification of pest plants and how to control them. It will also serve as a collection facility where pest plants collected in the field or by the public can be correctly identified.

Establishing and maintaining effective partnerships within the community, and benefiting the community, are key focuses for the regional council – especially where costs can be shared. This facility is a great example of the collaborative approach which provides benefits to both our ratepayers and our local partners.

If you have any views on this or any other issue, please email me: neesj@xtra.co.nz or phone 07 579 5150. Or you can check out my website www.janenees.co.nz