Forest and Bird are taking a Canterbury farmer to court in order to stop the destruction of an extremely rare and threatened plant.
The environmental group alleges Brent Thomas destroyed a large swathe of a rare native shrub found almost exclusively on his farm.
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Kaitorete Spit is home to 90 percent of New Zealand's Muehlenbeckia Astonii, but the distinctive plant could now be under threat after Mr Thomas sprayed and then drilled oats into three paddocks on the shores of Lake Ellesmere.
Jen Miller from Forest and Bird says the situation could be dire.
"What we are witnessing here is more or less an obliteration of a third of the population of the muehlenbeckia. Imagine if that was a third of the population of the kakapo."
The environmental group is taking the farmer to the Environment Court in an effort to stop any further cultivation of the land.
"We are pretty appalled at what has occurred here," says Ms Miller.
"Essentially, the indigenous species that did exist are now gone. Their habitats have been destroyed."
In a statement, Mr Thomas told Newshub he's horrified to find himself in this situation, and that he's working with the Department of Conservation (DOC) to find a long-term solution for the plant population.
DOC has fenced off several areas along Kaitorete Spit to protect the plant species. They're keen to find a solution with Mr Thomas.
"We're really hopeful that will turn into something concrete so that these plants are under some form of legal protection," says DOC's Anita Spencer.
The first thing they're likely to be the subject of is a legal fight, when Forest and Bird take their case against Mr Thomas to court.
Newshub.
