Myrtle Rust continues to spread throughout Auckland. The number of infected sites in the region now sits at over 90. Myrtle rust is a serious fungal disease that affects plants in the myrtle family. Myrtle Rust which attacks trees in the myrtle family, including pōhutukawa and rātā, was first detected in Remuera late last year.
The Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) has been leading the myrtle rust incursion response across the country has recently announced that they are shifting into a long-term management phase. From a practical perspective, this means that landowners will most likely be left to ‘self-manage’ in areas where the disease is well established, and most parts of Auckland will fall into this category.
MPI will continue to work on finding out how myrtle rust affects our natives, and still want to know where myrtle rust is, so please continue to keep an eye out for any signs of the disease and get in touch with MPI to report it
If you think you’ve seen myrtle rust, don’t touch it, take a photo, and call 0800 80 99 66