Hon Mark Mitchell
Minister for Land Information
18 July 2017 Media Statement
New app to measure success of wildings control
For the first time, authorities fighting the spread of wilding conifers will have a complete picture of infestations
throughout the country, says Minister for Land Information Mark Mitchell.
“Land Information New Zealand has developed the Wilding Conifer Information System, a web-based mapping and monitoring
tool, to ensure control of this invasive species is carried out in the most efficient way possible,” Mr Mitchell says.
The Wilding Conifer Information System (WCIS) will underpin the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme - a
partnership between LINZ, the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Department of Conservation, the New Zealand Defence
Force, regional and district councils, forestry, farming and community groups.
The WCIS will play an integral part in measuring the success of the programme.
“The tool provides for accurate and nationally consistent standards to record data about infestations and control
activities,” Mr Mitchell says.
It comes complete with a mobile app for authorities to download on their devices and capture information from the field
in real-time.
“This information will be vital at both regional and national levels when it comes to making decisions about where to
prioritise funding for control.
“Wilding conifers are a major threat to our ecosystems, native landscapes and farms. Active management is required to
tackle invasive conifers, which now affect more than two million hectares of land and are spreading at an estimated rate
of five per cent a year,” Mr Mitchell says.
The mapping application can be viewed on the LINZ website:www.linz.govt.nz/wilding-conifer-information-system