Marlborough is fast-tracking the fight against wilding pines, thanks to a boost from the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme (NWCCP) funded through Biosecurity New Zealand. The Council is now in its second year of increased funding over a four-year period, which has allowed for the acceleration of existing programmes and the launch of new initiatives in the community.

More than $5 million is being spent this year to eradicate wilding pines across the district in collaboration with Government, landowners and community partners. That’s a 10 percent increase in spend over last year, which led to 108,000 hectares of control area covered by ground and helicopter in Marlborough. This record year also saw more than 130 workers log over 33,000 hours across the district, mostly in Molesworth.

Wilding pines refers to a dozen species of conifer, fir, larch and pine trees that, without management, spread widely in areas where they shade out native vegetation. They affect farmland and recreational areas, as well as our unique landscapes and places of historic and cultural significance. If left to spread, they could take over more than a quarter of New Zealand within 30 years.

A handful of wilding pines can spread seeds for miles in the wind, said Biosecurity Manager Jono Underwood.

“With a collaborative effort, we can contain the spread by 2030. Last year was the largest effort for wilding pine control across the country. A large chunk of it happened here in Marlborough, and we’re on track for the same results this year across the district,” he said.

While $4.5 million of this year’s $5 million in funding has come from NWCCP, the Council’s role is to lead the biosecurity efforts in coordinating this funding for initiatives across Marlborough. Control work for these invasive pests has been ongoing for years in Molesworth and the Marlborough Sounds, including collaborations with the Department of Conservation, Pāmu New Zealand (formerly Landcorp), the Marlborough Sounds Restoration Trust and landholders.

“While much of the four-year funding boost has been allocated to Molesworth, this increase has also allowed for additional work in the Marlborough Sounds and for two new programmes in Waihopai and Te Hau/The Ned to get underway,” Mr Underwood said.

In Te Hau/The Ned the new initiative has been led by the South Marlborough Landscape Restoration Trust who are working with landholders in a 20,000 hectare area. In Waihopai, a landscape-scale programme was launched, spanning the Ferny Gair Conservation area, Upper Waihopai and Wye catchments.

Notes for Editors:

• The National Wilding Conifer Control Programme is funded through Biosecurity New Zealand, which is a business unit of the Ministry for Primary Industries.
• While the national Programme is led by Biosecurity New Zealand, it is a partnership with the Department of Conservation, Land Information New Zealand, the New Zealand Defence Force Joint Forces, regional councils, runanga and community trusts.
• The Programme’s highest ever spend in one year on control work was around $46 million in 2020-21. This was comprised Programme funding of $40m and contributions from partners including councils, landowners and communities. This funding resulted in 817,000 hectares of monitoring and control work across New Zealand.

To read more about the Government’s announcement visit: www.beehive.govt.nz/release/wilding-conifer-control-efforts-smash-targets

To find out more about wilding pines in Marlborough visit: www.marlborough.govt.nz/environment/biosecurity/a-z-of-pests/wilding-pines

For information about the South Marlborough Landscape Restoration Trust and the Marlborough Sounds Restoration Trust visit: www.marlboroughrestoration.org.nz/ or http://soundsrestoration.org.nz/

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