Halting the spread of wilding conifers in Nelson Tasman
10 March 2016

Wilding conifers at Mt Malita in the mineral belt. Photo: by Kaitiaki O Ngahere Ltd

Environmental agencies in the Nelson Tasman region are stepping up efforts to stop the spread of wilding conifers.

Wilding trees are forecast to cost New Zealand billions in economic losses over the coming decades, impacting on industries from agriculture to tourism. Wilding conifers currently occupy around 1.8 million hectares, nearly six per cent of New Zealand’s land area. The Nelson Tasman region has large areas of hill country in public ownership, much of which bounds established forests so it is pre-disposed to wilding risk.

Late last year, a regional stakeholder group met to work out a collaborative approach for addressing the issue that included representatives from councils in Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough, Department of Conservation (DOC), the Ministry of Primary Industries, LINZ and private foresters.

Commitments to date include a significant financial contribution from Nelson City Council, an extension of the Pest Management Strategy managed by Tasman District Council, cash targeted to wilding conifer control from local foresters, along with substantial on the ground control and technical advice from DOC.

Mayors of Nelson City and Tasman District Councils wrote a joint letter last month to central Government urging increased investment into the control of wilding conifers on crown land.

Mayor Rachel Reese says Nelson City Council is doubling its efforts through the Nelson Nature environmental programme to eradicate wilding conifers, increasing funding from $30,000 to $60,000 every year for the next five years.

“Wilding conifers are a huge threat not only to our precious biodiversity that we value so much but also to our eco-tourism industry. They can be found from our coastal cliffs and margins to the inland hill country. Of particular concern is the spread of these trees into our special natural areas particularly the Dun Mountain mineral belt.”

Mayor Reese says wilding conifers would pose a significant risk to the 17 threatened plant and animal species on the Dun Mountain if they were to continue to grow at their current rate.

“We’re doing a substantial amount of work on the Dun Mountain over the next five years, removing all wilding conifers across 402 hectares this year with much more to follow. DOC is working closely alongside to help develop effective control methods for the work,” she says.

“To stop the spread, a collaborative approach is essential. Wilding conifers spread easily with disregard to boundaries.”

Mayor Kempthorne says the Council has been supporting and enabling the collaborative efforts to combat wilding pines as part of the wider biodiversity programme for some time.

“Now with the wider focus of our collaborative regional efforts, we will be able get the situation under control sooner," he says.

“We see great outcomes being achieved in the Marlborough Sounds and in Abel Tasman. It is the right time to focus on the Mt Richmond Forest Park area now and increased funding will enable faster and greater longer term outcomes.”

ENDS

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