Seven people trespassed for entering closed Waitākere tracks

Tuesday, 23 April 2019

Seven people were given trespass notices in the Waitakere Ranges over the long weekend as part of Auckland Council's 'sting' to mark a change in the way officers dealt with flouting trampers.

Seven people have been issued trespass notices in the Waitākere Ranges for flouting track closures put in place to prevent the spread of kauri dieback disease.

Auckland Council handed the notices out during the Easter weekend, along with 50 warnings, to people who allegedly actively ignored signs and barriers alerting visitors to the disease.

Kauri dieback disease can be spread via tiny amounts of mud or soil carried on people or animals. There is no cure for the disease, which is a threat to the native species' survival as most infected trees will die.

Many areas of the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park have been closed due to kauri dieback since May 1, 2018.

**READ MORE:

Almost all infected kauri die and there is no known cure.

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

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* Kauri dieback: National treasure on the brink of extinction**

On Friday, Auckland Council said an Easter Weekend 'sting' would mark a change in the way officers dealt with trampers using closed tracks, changing to a more compliance and enforcement-based approach.

Manager of regulatory compliance Steve Pearce told RNZ the notices were issued as part of its preventative strategy to combat the disease.

Those trespassed were said to have squeezed past barriers closing the tracks and carried on 'as if it's their track to go and use by themselves', Pearce said.

'Some of these tracks are closed because they're heavily infected and any one of those spores that we take out of there could go kill another kauri.'

Other tracks were 'pristine and clear' of the disease and were closed as a preventative measure.

'We're trying to quarantine those ones almost to keep them safe for our future generations.'

Council had actively spoken about the disease over the summer and put up educational signage, and it would be stepping up its compliance game, he said.

'We've given everyone a chance to comply, now we're issuing trespassing notices, which are a pretty substantial tool in themselves, and if we need to, we will go to prosecutions.'

Overall, council was pleased only seven out of about 3700 visitors to the ranges over the weekend had ignored its signage and track barriers.

However, it was frustrating as the bulk of those caught were locals who held the stance 'this is my local track, I'm from Auckland, I know better', he said.

'We will catch those few who chose to break them.'

Instant fines were currently not an option but trespass notices and prosecutions were.

Those trespassed may be referred to the police and fined $20,000 under the Biosecurity Act if they are found in breach of the Controlled Area Notice for a second time.