Ex-Councillor Loses Stoush Over Gorse-covered Land

Tuesday, 25 March 2025, 7:46 pm
Article: Matthew Rosenberg - Local Democracy Reporter

A former Invercargill councillor has been ordered to clear her gorse-covered section after losing a battle with the council she once represented.

But Karen Arnold says she is giving no regard to the outcome and blames the gorse on neighbouring land which is co-owned by Invercargill City Council.

The vacant section in question at Theodore St, Bluff, has failed eight inspections since 2022.

On March 4, it was the subject of a hearing after Arnold took exception with a December notice which requested it be cleared of long grass and noxious plants within 60 days.

Arnold is adamant the cause of gorse and broom on her land is Bluff Hill/Motupōhue, which is at the rear of the section and co-owned by the council and DoC.

The council has got its way, however, with a determination released on Monday saying the presence of gorse on the hill did not give others a pass.

The panel accepted having the plant on the boundary was “not appropriate or helpful”, but said the council took steps to address this, which could not have impacted it emerging on Arnold's section.

“Removing gorse from private property must rest with the owner,” the panel said.

Reports show some mistakes were made in dealing with the matter.

That included the council issuing a non-compliant bylaw notice in October 2022 which forced it to clear Arnold's section at its own cost soon after.

The panel also felt the organisation should have considered the time of year when issuing the December 2024 notice.

In response to the hearing outcome, Arnold said the council was "continually investigating itself and finding that it’s not at fault".

Arnold said she gave the result no regard because she raised her issues under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act and didn't recognise the panel as having the capacity to consider the matter.

The council told Local Democracy Reporting it had operated within its rules and obligations for inspections.

Bluff Hill/Motupōhue was managed to meet the requirements of the Southland Pest Hub, which recommended gorse be kept 10 metres from neighbouring boundaries, council group manager consenting and environment Jonathan Shaw said.

A city map image from 2016 showed gorse had grown from the fence line between two private properties — not public land — and appeared to have been left unchecked over the years, he said.

The hearing panel included councillors Darren Ludlow, Ria Bond and Trish Boyle.

Declarations made at the start of that process included that Ludlow worked with the appellant while she was a councillor, and that she had contacted him regarding the initial decision.

Bond said she had a previous relationship with Arnold as her hair stylist.

Arnold was elected in 2013 and 2016, but stood down near the end of her second term.

In 2018, RNZ reported she had declared bankrupt after losing a defamation suit against Stuff and then-mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

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