PRESS RELEASE - for immediate release, 7 June 2019

Waitākere Ranges Track Plan Supports the Rāhui

The Tree Council, Waitākere Ranges Protection Society and Forest & Bird support the final version of the Track Reopening Work Programme released by Auckland Council on 6 June 2019.

“We are pleased to see Council upholding the principles agreed with Te Kawerau ā Maki that support both the rāhui and science based biosecurity clearly articulated in the Track Reopening Work Programme” says The Tree Council’s Secretary Dr Mels Barton.

“These include protecting healthy kauri ecosystem, focusing recreation around the coastline and low risk areas on the edge of the forest, and only opening tracks once they are agreed to have met the high standards required to protect kauri.”

The conservation organisations understand the priority placed on recreation by some submitters and are pleased to see that Council has taken this into consideration while sticking to the biosecurity principles necessary to protect the forest ecosystem for future generations.

However, we are extremely concerned that the current work programme does not include the currently open tracks that have fallen well below the standards required to protect kauri over the last year of intensive use. We have identified these tracks to Auckland Council over 2 separate audits performed in October 2018 and January 2019 and are very disappointed that they are yet to be improved. This work is urgent and should be completed before any other new tracks are opened. Maintaining the integrity and standard of open tracks to ensure they remain at a dry foot standard is also part of the agreement made with Te Kawerau ā Maki and enables the public to comply with the Controlled Area Notice when using them. Failure to maintain tracks to the correct standard is putting our kauri and the public at risk and is unacceptable given the budget allocated to this work by the people of Auckland.

Note: The Waitākere Rāhui was placed by local iwi Te Kawerau ā Maki on 2 December 2017 to prevent and control human access in order to protect kauri and allow the forest to heal. All tracks within the forest are closed by the rāhui except those achieving agreed track surface standards. It will remain in place until effective and appropriate research, planning and remedial work is completed to ensure the risks are neutralised or controlled.

ENDS

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