The large weeds appearing on Dunedin streets made the city look ''Third World'', a disgruntled inner-city resident says.
Roy Kenny has lived in York Pl for 35 years and does not like the look of the new residents sprouting from the concrete kerb.
''Look at these weeds. I used to spray them myself but I have given up ... Why should I have to keep spraying them at my expense when I am already paying what I consider to be excessive rates.''
While he continued to spray his property frontage, he stopped spraying the kerb with herbicide a year ago, and was now greeted each day by the sight of 30cm-high weeds and even a large thistle.
''If I let all my street frontage go like this,'' he said, pointing to the weeds, ''it will begin to look like a wilderness and people go away with a not very good impression of the city''.
''This is Third World stuff.''
Dunedin City Council roading maintenance engineer Peter Standring told the Otago Daily Times contractors had moved away from non-toxic spraying of weeds several years ago, with a salt solution now the preferred application.
''There are some places around town that are getting a bit hairy, but when the weather is warm and wet it just goes a bit crazy.''
Contractors were expected to increase spraying of city streets over the next few weeks, and ''they will be hitting it hard''.
Each Dunedin street could expect to be sprayed about two or three times during a growing season.
''If we do get any complaints ...it is usually the area we are about to move into.''
The council was responsible for weed-spraying up to a property's boundary, he said.
