Hon Nicky Wagner
Associate Minister of Conservation

14 August 2014 Media Statement
Boost for wilding tree control in Waimakariri

A group of volunteers dedicated to clearing wilding trees around Flock Hill in upper Waimakariri is to receive a major funding boost, Associate Conservation Minister Nicky Wagner announced today.

Waimakariri Ecological and Landscape Restoration Alliance will receive $309,000 over the next three years from the Department of Conservation’s Community Conservation Partnership Fund.
“Wilding trees are now the most significant threat to biodiversity and infrastructure in the 60,000 hectares of public and privately owned lands in the upper Waimakariri Basin.

“Eliminating wilding trees from this basin is achievable but with conifer seeds able to be blown tens of kilometres, no one group or organisation can effectively control this spread on its own,” Ms Wagner says

The Waimakariri alliance is a partnership involving Castle Hill Village residents, farmers, tramping and four-wheel drive clubs, Department of Conservation, Environment Canterbury, University of Canterbury, Flock Hill Station, Orion, Transpower, SCION and the Transport Agency.

“The alliance has made significant in-roads in controlling wilding trees and the Community Conservation Partnership Fund is proud to support this exemplary partnership in the next stage of its project,” Ms Wagner says.

Funding will be used to employ specialist contractors to undertake wilding tree control in areas which are too difficult or dangerous for volunteers to access.

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