Council welcomes funding focus of NPMP

Waikato Regional Council is looking forward to working with Tiakina Kauri and seeing more funds become available to protect kauri after the National Pest Management Plan (NPMP) became effective yesterday.

The NPMP is part of a $32 million injection of funding into kauri protection over five years and Tiakini Kauri will now develop a National Operational Plan which includes working with its partners to establish regional priorities.

Integrated Catchment Management director Greg Ryan says regional and unitary councils have been advocating for national action for many years and it was good to finally have the NPMP in place, with funding available towards operational management.

“We’re highly supportive of the NPMP and are looking forward to supporting the delivery of this work once we’ve worked out our regional priorities with Tiakina Kauri,” says Mr Ryan.

“There is $8 million of funding available each year for the first three years and we hope the Waikato will benefit considerably from that as we have the second largest population of kauri in New Zealand.

“And, of course, as kauri protection is a national programme and kauri are long-lived taonga that deserve protecting, we’re hopeful that funding will continue and even increase beyond the five years that is currently being planned for.”

Last year, to help prepare for the NPMP, the council received $1.28 million from the Government.

The funding was used to deliver a range of initiatives, including:

• working with landowners to upgrade fencing to stop stock going into kauri forests
• installing and upgrading cleaning stations for community trapping groups
• helping investigate the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling as another possible tool for determining the presence of Phytophthora agathidicida (Pa), the soil-borne organism responsible for causing disease in kauri.
• monitoring a trial of kauri stands receiving phosphite treatment, which is showing a promising reduction in disease symptoms.

Mr Ryan says the Waikato has the largest population of kauri undetected for PA and the council intended to keep it that way.

The Manaia Forest Sanctuary in the Coromandel Peninsula alone has about 410 of the oldest trees within the kauri distribution area, including the sixth largest kauri tree in New Zealand.

“Our kauri can be saved by stopping the spread of PA by limiting the movement of soil by humans, stock and feral animals. This council is committed to providing solutions to make it easier for landowners, community groups and industry to do their bit to protect this taonga.”