Zoe Crawford and Sam Davis want to flood the Otago Regional Council with submissions on what they regard as inadequate funding for wilding tree control in the council’s proposed annual plan.
The pair helped organise a family-oriented working bee in Sawpit Gully on March 20, and took email addresses from the 150 people who participated.
Sam said they had since emailed everyone, asking them to make submissions on the $100,000 set aside by the council for wilding tree work.
That money was for all of Otago, and none would be spent around Arrowtown, he said.
"Our main purpose is to get attention. A few guys can’t fix the whole problem, because the trees are spreading so quickly.
"We’re going to lose all our high country, which is one of the things that brings tourists here and makes this area unique."
Zoe said she did not realise the seriousness of the problem until the Arrowtown Choppers group was formed a few months ago.
It consisted of about a dozen residents who went up to Sawpit Gully most Wednesday nights and cut down wilding trees.
She was surprised organisations such as the council had allowed the problem to become so serious.
"If they’d done something about it a few years ago, it would’ve been fine, but now it’s near the point of no return."
