West Aucklanders face $20,000 fine for walking dogs in bush closed over kauri dieback

Tuesday, 2 April 2019

Park rangers and contractors are working to reopen the Kitekite track in the wake of the kauri dieback track closures (video first published December 2018).

Residents who live near a West Auckland bush track closed because of kauri dieback have been threatened with a $20,000 fine if they enter it.

Auckland Council sent letters to residents of Tainui Rd and Manuka Rd on March 15 after its monitoring system showed a small group of people were continuously breaching the closure of the Clark Bush Track.

The track is one of 29 closed since 2018 in an effort to reduce the risks associated with the spread of kauri dieback disease in the forest.

Auckland Council says it believes locals are breaching the track closure at Clark Bush Track in West Auckland.

The council said it had strong indication the culprits were locals, using the track to walk their dogs.

* Forest closure is not being enforced

* Kauri dieback killing businesses as well as trees

Clark Bush Track is one of 29 tracks closed because of kauri dieback disease.

* Locals fear spread of kauri dieback during construction of water treatment plant**

But resident Tamara George said it was unfair locals were being blamed.

'On one hand you have the rāhui and we are the ones fighting to save the native bush, and in fact the whole ecosystem, and then we receive letters to say we will be fined a huge amount if we walk there,' George said.

'Well, we aren't walking there. They should send the letter to the people who are seeking to destroy this heritage area, not us.'

Bette Swan said it was unfair of the council to send a letter to residents, considering Watercare's proposal to build a water treatment plant in the area, which locals believed would threaten kauri.

'The irony of the total unwillingness to protect our special area from industrial destruction whilst simultaneously being willing to threaten any who might transgress against the closure is just remarkable,' Swan said.

According to the letter, random monitoring of several closed tracks noted there was a continued level of what appeared to be local use of the Clark Bush.

Auckland Council's manager of regional parks, Rachel Kelleher, said the council had also received similar reports from concerned locals about the breach of the closure.

The letter was a timely reminder to residents the track and others in the Waitākere Ranges were closed, she said.

'Some of the people seen using the track have been doing so on a regular basis and are walking dogs off leash.

'It also appears these people have arrived by foot rather than by car which indicates it is more likely to be locals rather than visitors.'

The council had never issued a fine or trespass order in relation to the kauri, and hoped it would never have to, Kelleher said.

'We ask everyone to protect our kauri by staying off closed tracks and only using them once necessary upgrades have been done.'