Pest management in perpetuity covers over 3,650 ha and includes the Parininihi. This mahi underpins Te Ara o te Ata’s environmental restoration programme and is a significant focus of our partnership with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
Together we are collaborating with Department of Conservation (DoC) to address serious damage done in the area by animal pests over decades. The mahi involves controlling deer, goats, feral pigs and cats, possums, ferrets, stoats, weasels and rats to low levels.
The pest management activity is designed to support the forest’s recovery from harm caused by pests and improve the diversity of native plants and animals (including long-tailed bats, kiwi and lizards) that live there.
This programme of work builds on the considerable mahi of
Tiaki Te Mauri O Parininihi, to establish pest management and biodiversity programmes (including taonga species release) in the Parininihi.
A four-member steering group oversees the pest management programme’s strategy and is responsible overall for the programme’s success. Ngāti Tama has two members (appointed by Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Tama) with Waka Kotahi and DoC each having a representative.
The steering group’s responsibilities include:
- aligning the programme with other pest management work in Taranaki
- overseeing relationships with councils, community and other stakeholders concerning pest management and biodiversity matters
- ensuring tikanga is applied consistently across the pest management operations.
An operational leadership team will roll out and manage the programme.
