Residents volunteer to help reopen closed track at regional park plagued with kauri dieback

Sunday, 14 April 2019

Kauri dieback is proving to be a disaster for NZ's native tree population.

Residents living near a closed bush track in the Waitākere Ranges want Auckland Council to open up the tracks because it is a 'daily part of their lives'.

Spragg Bush Track in West Auckland was one of more than 20 tracks closed in 2018 because of a rāhui to prevent the further extensive spread of the kauri dieback disease.

The 106 families near the track have banded together and are even offering voluntary labour to assist council in its upgrade and reopening as soon as possible.

Auckland Council says it's looking to reopen more than 20 tracks in the ranges in the next few years.

The Draft Plan for Waitākere Ranges Regional Park proposed that Spragg Bush Track should remain closed in the future, despite confirmation from Auckland Council that no kauri were infected by the disease on the track.

**READ MORE:

Spragg Bush Track residents are keen to see their local track reopened sooner rather than later.

* Proposal to open more tracks in kauri dieback-plagued regional park

* Kauri dieback: National treasure on the brink of extinction

* West Auckland forest closure is not being enforced**

Council have not confirmed if the kauri on the track were free from the disease.

Tom Austen said the group was angry the council had closed the 1.8 kilometre Spragg Bush Track without public consultation first.

About 90 per cent of tracks in the Waitakere Ranges are closed because of the spread of kauri dieback disease.

He was also angry there were no plans in place to reopen it for the future.

All the residents had deliberately moved to the area because they were passionate about the forest environment and its protection, he said.

'The local community is willing to assist with the work,' Austen said.

'Some upgrading has already been done. For example, board walking has already been installed around all kauri.'

Residents have already been doing some of the track maintenance, including trimming back intruding vegetation and clearing windfall, and weed and pest control on their properties to help preserve the environment.

An assessment of the tracks by a local ranger estimated that the cost to upgrade Spragg Bush Track to the required standard would cost up to $200,000.

'There is no alternative to the tracks. The local roads lack footpaths and are narrow and dangerous for pedestrians,' Austen said.

'The tracks link the local families together and are essential to providing a sense of community.'

Auckland Council manager regional parks Rachel Kelleher said no kauri had been confirmed infected by the disease along Spragg Bush Track, but there were diseased kauri in the wider vicinity, she said.

Spragg Bush Track wasn't proposed for reopening due to number of factors, including the scale of works required to bring it up to standard, meaning lower priority is given to low us tracks that would require significant upgrade, she said.

'Council staff have met with residents who live near Spragg Bush and their feedback will be considered as part of the consultation process,' Kelleher said.

Council welcomed volunteers' help to reopen the tracks but only once the track plan was confirmed, she said.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated residents had volunteered to pay to reopen the track.