A motion to draft a bylaw to ban the sale of invasive plants within Nanaimo's city limits was passed during a recent council meeting, with only one councillor opposed.
The motion, which passed on Monday, July 7, instructs staff to begin a phased process to draft a bylaw that prohibits the sale and distribution of specific species on the Invasive Plant Council of B.C. lists within city limits.
It also directs staff to partner with local garden retailers and community organizations on a public awareness campaign to promote awareness about native and non-invasive alternatives and the proper disposal of plant waste, update Nanaimo’s invasive plant management strategy and resource materials, and continue to fund community and staff participation in the long-term reduction of invasive plants. This includes updated action plans to strategically look at sites for removal and restoration plantings.
A staff report, presented at the committee level on June 23, stated that several species plants are impacting local parks, natural areas and private properties, including Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed, Himalayan blackberry, English ivy, daphne and Scotch broom.
Thorpe said that while he has no problem with the idea of a public awareness campaign and an update to the invasive plant management strategy, he is against banning the private sale.
"I read the staff reports on this very carefully, and I found them very interesting, and what I came away with, quite frankly, was the problem of invasive plants lies almost exclusively in public lands, park lands, forest woodlands and so on," he said. "This proposed drafting of a bylaw is aimed directly at home gardeners who are purchasing plants from their local greenhouses, things like comfrey, St. John's wort and daphne."
Thorpe added that he finds no reason why gardeners should not be allowed to purchase invasives and put them in pots in their backyard if they so wish.
"I just don't see it as being a productive use of staff time and I would suggest any such bylaw aimed at home gardens would in itself be invasive."
Coun. Hilary Eastmure disagreed, pointing to data that originated from a 2008 report from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that states about 58 per cent of invasive plant species appear to have arrived in Canada as the result of deliberate introduction. This includes agronomic crops, landscape plants, ornamentals, or medicinal plants.
"We are hearing from experts that particularly from garden waste and compost, when people put invasive species into the compost, the seeds and sprouts can grow from there," Eastmure said. "This is about taking responsibility at the local level and really protecting the consumer from planting something they may not be aware is harmful to the environment, and it's really putting the onus on the retailers."
The motion passed with Thorpe opposed.
