Thousands of wilding pines removed in Coromandel thanks to Jobs for Nature
More than 34,000 wilding pines have been removed from Black Jack Reserve in Kuaotunu, Coromandel.
This control work is one of nine wilding pines community-led projects in the Waikato to receive funding from the Government’s Jobs for Nature programme.
Kristina Pickford, a trustee of Kuaotunu Peninsula Trust, says the number of wilding pines removed from the 83-hectare site is testament to the threat they pose to the environment.
"I see pines as a massive threat to biodiversity," says Kristina. "They are everywhere you go, covering New Zealand. The Coromandel is blessed with quite a lot of native bush, but take some time to look at the land, what is disturbing is the sheer scale of wilding pine infestations.
Wilding pines are a fast-spreading pest plant that, if left unchecked, will take over more than a quarter of New Zealand within 30 years.
"There’s a lot of important, established and regenerating coastal forest that we are trying to keep the pines out of."
Wilding pines are a threat to biodiversity and the primary sector because they can take over iconic landscapes, unique natural habitats and productive land.
The majority of large wildings in Black Jack Reserve had already been felled and the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme funding largely addressed the regrowth which presented a threat to the gains made.
A young local crew hand-pulled and hand sawed tens of thousands of young wilding pines at Black Jack Reserve, and are now working at Matarangi Bluff Reserve.
Larger pines are being felled or poisoned from a helicopter, by specialist contractors, depending on what can be safely achieved.
Contractor Travis Boyd says it’s been a great opportunity for his crew. They’ve acquired various new skills and qualifications - for example, certification for GrowSafe, chainsaw use and tree-felling - which will open employment opportunities for them in the future.
"It’s been quite impressive to watch. They’ve been crashing through the bush, pulling out and cutting the smaller pines. They’ve built confidence and muscle; they’re a lot fitter than when we started.
"It is tough terrain and really hard work, but they’ve thrived - I am proud of them."
Kuaotunu Peninsula Trust successfully applied for Community Partnership Project funding of $375,000 from the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme for the project which is being administratively and operationally led by Waikato Regional Council.
The Government in 2020 allocated funding of $100 million over four years to expand the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme. This funding is managed by Biosecurity New Zealand, which is a business management unit of the Ministry for Primary Industries.