Waikato Regional Council has started wilding pine control in new locations in the Coromandel Peninsula.

The control work in Opito Bay and Whenuakite is part of operations on the peninsula that received funding through the Ministry of Primary Industries’ wilding pine control programme, with work already completed at Black Jack Reserve and on AhuAhu/Great Mercury Island.

Control work continues on the Matarangi Bluff Scenic Reserve.

The funding for the control work in Opito Bay and other parts of the Kūaotunu Peninsula was applied for by Kūaotunu Peninsula Trust with support from the Opito Bay Ratepayers Association, Project Kiwi Trust and Rings Beach Wetland Group.

In Whenuakite, the control sites are on a total of about 108 hectares of private land in Boat Harbour Road.

Waikato Regional Council project manager Clark McMichael says the targeted areas have sparse to dense mature coning trees which will be controlled by drilling and filling with herbicide or chainsawing. Seedlings and smaller trees will be hand pulled or hand sawn.

“Wilding pines are a threat to biodiversity and the primary sector and, if nothing is done to control them, within 30 years they will have taken over significant parts of New Zealand’s iconic landscapes and unique natural habitats,” says Mr McMichael.

Wilding pines spread prolifically from seed and grow fast to form a dense canopy which shades the forest floor, killing and preventing the growth of all other plant species and displacing the habitat of native animal species.

The Coromandel Peninsula has many iconic New Zealand native species, including Coromandel brown kiwi, kākā, long-tailed bats and kauri.

“Wilding pine control also presents potential risk to these species through disturbance, so we have surveyed the sites for their presence and have strict procedures in place where they exist.

“No wilding pines will be felled where kākā or kiwi are nesting or bats roosting – control will be by drill and fill – and clean hygiene protocols for kauri protection will be carried out by contractors working near kauri.”

The Government in 2020 allocated funding of $100 million over four years to expand the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme. This funding is managed by Biosecurity New Zealand, which is a business management unit of the Ministry for Primary Industries.

About $1.3m went towards nine community projects in Coromandel and Taupō. To find out more about the community projects in the Waikato go to waikatoregion.govt.nz/wilding-pines.

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