Rose enthusiast Bernie Cousens is distraught after discovering his roses had been hacked along Peacockes Road.

A colourful roadside display of rambling roses has become a flashpoint.

For almost two decades, rose enthusiast Bernie Cousens​ has tended his colourful roadside bushes along Hamilton's Peacockes Rd.

The swathe of pink and white blooms stretched for 300 metres along the rural road where gorse and blackberry once held sway.

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ Bernie Cousens is furious after his rose hedge was destroyed without permission.

But on Wednesday morning, all the roses were hacked back and the cuttings left strewn along the berm.

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GOOGLE MAPS The roadside view of Bernie Cousens' hedge before it was cut back to the fenceline.

The 79-year-old blames a neighbour.

Hamilton City Council, through its partner Infrastructure Alliance, confirmed complaints from road users in the area claimed the roses were a danger to passers-by.

The roses are planted on land owned by the NZ Transport Agency and were grown from cuttings.

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ Branches of trees also fell victim to unauthorised cutting by hedge trimming contractors.

Cousens leases the land from NZTA for about $360 a year. His lease terms include ensuring the roses are kept in "an orderly and tidy manner".

"Every 12 months, the roses are inspected [by NZTA] and not once has anyone come back to me," Cousens said.

"These roses have been here about 17 years and bring people so much pleasure. To have someone come along and take it upon themselves to hack at them is outrageous. Not only that, they've just left all these clippings for me to pick up. I'm 79-years-old and already have had a heart operation. I just don't need the stress."

Cousens suspected a neighbour instigated the pruning, which was carried out by a contractor.

Neighbour Isolde Pennings said she welcomed the chance to share she and husband Henri's side, but when she called Henri from the farm to comment, he declined, except to say he'd been in touch with Hamilton City Council on Thursday morning.

Isolde said the hedge was a safety hazard when moving stock along the road from farm gate to farm gate, but called the cutting "mean-spirited".

Infrastructure Alliance operations manager Shaun Peterson said no council representative had given permission to trim vegetation on the Cousens property.

The alliance works in partnership with the Hamilton City Council to maintain Hamilton's roads and road reserves.

"We have contacted neighbouring Waipa Council and have also spoken with other units within the council and we have no record of any permission through our normal processes," Peterson said.

In May 2015, Infrastructure Alliance asked Cousens to trim the hedge back to the boundary "as a matter of urgency".

"It is now a safety issue as it is blocking clear sight lines for motorists approaching the bend in the road," the letter said.

Alliance staff visited in June and Cousens said he complied with the request.

He is now considering his options, including laying a complaint with police or pursuing legal action.

"The fenceposts have been pulled out and the whole site looks a mess.

"I take a lot of pride in my roses and people are always stopping to compliment me.

"Yes, the roses will grow back in time, but at my age, time is something I don't have a lot of."

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