A new pest plant collection which will help identify plants and educate the public was opened in Tauranga yesterday.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council, in collaboration with Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, set up the collection facility to help identify pest plants found around the region and to help educate public and staff alike.

Polytechnic Academic Director Dr Helen Anderson, Regional Council General Manager Natural Resource Operations Warwick Murray, Regional Councillor Jane Nees, Regional Council Land management Manager Western Robyn Skelton, Polytechnic Facilities Manager Trevor Hayward, Polytechnic Group Leader Horticulture Shelley Rose, Regional Council Deputy Chairman Philip Sherry, Polytechnic Head of Science Dr Tim Lowe.

Councillor Philip Sherry said the facility at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic Windermere campus was a great example of Regional Council collaborating with local partners for the benefit of the community.

'Housing this facility at an existing education centre makes perfect sense and we thank Bay of Plenty Polytechnic for partnering us in this venture,” Councillor Sherry said.

'This pest plant collection will function as a showcase that will give people an opportunity to get up close and to see, touch and smell the real plants. It will also serve as a collection facility where pest plants collected in the field or by the public can be correctly identified,” he said.

'An important step in controlling and eradicating pest plants in the Bay of Plenty is for staff and the public to know what they look like at various times of the year.”

Approximately 100 different species of plants will be held in the facility.

Group Leader Horticulture at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic Shelley Rose said the Polytechnic was very pleased to be sharing facilities with the Regional Council.

'The inclusion of the pest collection adds another learning dimension to our training orchard, research orchard and student gardens. Today also marks the opening of the new student learning facilities which await the arrival of approximately 40 full-time horticulture students on Monday morning.”