Ecological groups, volunteers and the community will find it easier to carry out pest control projects in Upper Harbour with the aid of the Wai Roa ō Kahu / Upper Harbour Pest Management Strategy.
Upper Harbour Local Board Chair Anna Atkinson says the strategy prioritises pest-control projects that are effective and will restore indigenous biodiversity in Upper Harbour.
“We are fortunate that our locals love to volunteer and are passionate about the environment. But pest plants and pest animals compete with, prey on and damage our native species,” she says.
“It’s impossible for volunteers to intensively manage every pest animal but instead we can target key species and key sites. Pest plants are fast-growing and just as challenging to manage, so our approach needs to be well-planned and delivered.
“Prioritisation makes the difference, helps focus our community efforts and achieves the best results.”
Developing the strategy in partnership with Te Kawerau ā Maki helped identify key sites that are a focus for pest control.
Community workshops and input from council staff, mana whenua, the Upper Waitematā Ecology Network (UWEN) and others helped shape the strategy.
UWEN Manager Rachael Pates says the strategy captures the challenges faced by UWEN and volunteers who tackle the range of assaults on the natural environment caused by pest animals and pest plants.
“By delivering the most meaningful impacts in areas with the highest risk of harm, we can target our efforts to give precious ecosystems the best support we can,” she says.
“The strategy pulls together meaningful information that is specific to our landscape and our challenges.”
Aimed at community partners, volunteers, landowners, businesses, schools and tertiary institutions, the strategy includes:
-
key factors for project planning, project sustainability and reporting
-
developing high level location-specific pest plant management plans
-
a collation of existing policies, guidelines and conservation initiatives
-
roles, responsibilities of stakeholders and potential partners for landscape scale projects
-
an overview of Upper Harbour pest control initiatives and projects
-
maps showing priority areas and recommended control approaches for each.
With possums a major threat species, the Greenhithe Community Trust has a new possum-free peninsula project inspired by the strategy.
Eco Facilitator Nicola Robertson says the strategy helps guide community conservation efforts in Greenhithe.
"The strategy has inspired the Greenhithe Possum Free Peninsula Project, focusing on our peninsula’s unique geography to slow reinvasion and target possums which are a major pest species,” she says.
“We look forward to delivering stage one of the project over the coming year. With community support, we're progressing towards preserving and enhancing Greenhithe's natural landscape for future generations."
The local board recently increased its funding to assist environmental groups implement the strategy and council contractors continue to carry out pest control at various locations.
The Wai Roa ō Kahu / Upper Harbour Pest Management Strategy is available on the council website and can be downloaded here. [11.46MB]
Stay up to date
Sign up for your Local Board E-news and get the latest news and events direct to your inbox each month. Or follow us on Facebook.
