North Shore councillor gutted, as kauri dieback found in his area for the first time

Friday, 27 July 2018

A councillor is 'really gutted' Kauri dieback disease has been confirmed on Auckland's North Shore, for the first time.

All walking tracks in Birkenhead's Kauri Park are now closed, after the diseased kauri was identified through Auckland Council's ongoing surveillance programme across the region.

North Shore ward councillor Richard Hills said he was 'really gutted' the disease had been officially found on the North Shore for the first time, after tests last month ruled out kauri dieback in a tree in Birkenhead's nearby Chelsea Heritage Park.

'I'm devastated to hear this disease has been found in precious native bush that is of vital importance to our community,' Hills said.

**READ MORE:

* Auckland tree cleared of kauri dieback, but community remains vigilant

* Kauri dieback: National treasure on the brink of extinction

* Call to close all kauri forests

* The kauri dieback dilemma: Why our native trees will be fine**

Hills said he hoped people followed the guidance around closures and stayed off any closed tracks.

Auckland Council biosecurity manager Phil Brown said it was 'incredibly disappointing' to have the disease confirmed in an area previously thought to be free of the disease.

'From what we know about the incubation period for this disease, this tree may have been in decline for some years yet not necessarily showing any visible signs of infection,'Brown said.

'This detection is a blow to an area of high-value kauri. Today signals an initial infection, but we are also waiting on results of testing of other kauri in the park.'

Kaipātiki Local Board chairman John Gillon said the detection of the disease in the area is a concern.

'As a local board, we have been working really hard to ensure that protection measures for kauri in our area are a priority, and while this confirms our worst fears, we are determined to do all we can with the council and the community to stop further spread.'

Track closure signage was installed on July 27 and additional footwear cleaning stations and other mitigation measures for the Kauri Park area were being assessed by the council.

The track that connects Kauri and Balmain roads is included in the closure but the council said it will be a priority to reopen when confirmed it is safe for use.

This month, community environmental group, Pest Free Kaipātiki, warned the Kaipātiki Local Board that the kauri in the area were 'incredibly at risk'.

'Once it [the disease] gets into Kauri Park it is going to go down the entire slope and into the other reserves that are at the bottom,' Pest Free Kaipātiki's Jo Knight said at a July 18 local board meeting.

At the meeting, the group pressed the local board to invest in complex shoe cleaning stations and also mooted dog washing stations to clean dogs' paws.

The cleaning stations which were currently in place were 'an apology for a cleaning station', Knight said.

'We need something much better than that. What we are asking for in particular, for the very at risk reserves, is to close them until such time as new cleaning stations are in place.'

Knight said the Kaipātiki area needed 75 cleaning stations, just for the entrances of reserves that have kauri in them.

Knight said the cleaning stations in question cost around $6000 each.

The group also suggested closures for selected tracks in Rangatira, Chatswood and Leigh/Lynn reserves as well as Birkenhead War Memorial Park.

Moving forward the the group wanted to educate the community on kauri dieback and how to prevent it.

An additional $100 million for kauri dieback protection was secured in through the recent Auckland Council 10-year-Budget process.

'This funding is now needed more than ever as we accelerate and expand our work to tackle this threatening disease,' Hills said.

In Northland, Tāne Mahuta is now in grave danger, local iwi said.