Waitākere Ranges tracks closed to stop kauri dieback spread vandalised

Saturday, 18 January 2020

Auckland Council's Information Communication and Technology team is helping West Auckland rangers in the battle to stop the spread of kauri dieback by developing new, cheap, effective monitoring technology.

Fences at tracks closed to prevent the spread of kauri dieback at one of Auckland's biggest forests have been deliberately vandalised by 'selfish' people, local authorities revealed.

Auckland Council manager regional parks Rachel Kelleher said the vandalism at closed tracks in the Waitākere Ranges, in West Auckland, was disappointing.

Most of the tracks have been closed to stop the spread of the fatal tree disease, which was first identified at the regional park in 2018.

Compliance officers have noticed fences have been cut, damaged or removed during the Christmas holidays. Signs have also been removed and dumped in streams.

More people are breaching closed tracks in the Waitākere Ranges.

* Waitākere Ranges locals fined for breaching track closures

* Charges filed against person accused of entering closed track**

Kauri dieback disease on the Maungaroa Ridge Track in the Waitakere Ranges in Piha (file image).

The culprits were a few selfish individuals focused only on their own recreational pursuits, Kelleher said.

'It's staggering the lengths a small number of people will go to for their own personal benefit,' she said.

'Their behaviour means staff focus and resources are diverted away from getting on with the work needed to reopen tracks for everyone to enjoy to repairing those that have been damaged.'

Waitākere Ranges has 145 tracks but only about 30 remain open with new tracks slowly being built.

A rāhui was placed on the forest in 2018 by iwi Te Kawerau-ā-Maki after kauri dieback disease was first identified on a Piha track.

But the council found locals were deliberately breaching closed tracks last year and 49 trespass notices were issued in the last six months of 2019.

One man is alleged to have entered a closed track three times in five months last year and he's expected to appear in court in March.

This summer, between Christmas Day and January 3, compliance officers issued trespass notices to more than 14 people for entering closed areas and four people received warnings.

Henderson Valley Scenic Reserve and the Point View Reserve in Howick are two closed tracks locals were deliberately breaching for an early morning run, walk or afternoon dip.

Licensing and regulatory compliance lead Jesse Hindt said overall, people were paying attention to messages to steer clear of closed tracks.

'They're doing all the right things; unfortunately, there are still those few who feel the rules aren't for them,' Hindt said.

'It's good to see most people are paying attention to the message, staying out of closed areas and protecting kauri.'

He said compliance officers and kauri dieback ambassadors would continue to give advice to walkers, runners and hikers over the summer.

'What was pleasing to park staff was the majority of those engaged with understood why track closures were in place and were interested in information about the disease,' he said.