Now the agency in charge of regulating the verges, Auckland Transport, wants to ban people from growing food on the land because of concerns over vermin, and plans to require residents to apply for a NZ$150 ($102; £66) permit before creating "berm gardens". The agency says there's also a road safety risk. "It's people, little kids, running out from behind tall-growing vegetables or plants, and running out onto the road and getting hit by a car," spokesman Tony McCartney tells 3 News