Good progress with possum control project

Stage two of Environment Waikato’s and the Department of Conservation’s ambitious Pirongia-Hauturu possum control project has been highly successful, says a new report to Environment Waikato’s regional pest management committee.

The latest work, which follows last year’s successful treatment of Mt Pirongia and nearby bush, focused on the Oparau, Ngutunui and Honikiwi areas.

The overall Pirongia-Haturu project, involving more than 700 north-west King Country land owners, began in late 2006 with a consultation phase.

The total project will eventually cover more than 74,000 hectares of land – an area bigger than Lake Taupo.
It is designed to protect biodiversity and improve catchment health.

On the most recent operation, the manager of contractor EcoFX Ltd, Kevin Christie told the committee that pre-operational monitoring had revealed high possum densities in Oparau, Ngutunui and Honikiwi. Numbers had been particularly high in Oparau, with trap catches of 60 per cent or higher in Te Kauri reserve, where the forest was showing advanced states of browsing damage and decline.
But post-operational trap catch rates were well below the five per cent target, and as low as 1.8 per cent in some areas.

King Country Waipa councillor Andra Neeley said locals were pleased with the latest work.
“People out there are feeling confident this was a well intentioned, well planned and well executed project.
“Residents living in areas where Tb has been a problem in the past really welcome the chance to keep possum numbers low and maintain what’s been achieved.”

Council chairman Peter Buckley also thanked Mr Christie for a “tremendous job” and underlined the vital importance of helping farmers stay on top of Tb.
Stage three, covering Hauturu-Awaroa and Waipa-Puniu, is currently underway and is scheduled to be completed by June next year.