‘Warriors’ tell public: Stay away, help defend kauri
Alice Peacock
The Tree Council is hoping the work of 50 “Rahui Warriors” alerting the public to the iwi-imposed restriction in the Waitakere Ranges at the weekend creates real change.
Volunteers spread out across track entrances in Auckland’s Waitakere Ranges, educating visitors about the rahui and kauri dieback disease.
Te Kawerau a Maki imposed the unofficial ban over the 16,000ha park last December.
While Auckland Council had closed certain tracks, it was criticised for not closing the entire park. Mayor Phil Goff and the majority of councillors voted to support the rahui “in principle”, which the iwi and Tree Council members called “confusing”. Tree Council secretary Dr Mels Barton said she was largely pleased with the response to the volunteers at the weekend.
The “adopt-atrack” initiative was a combined effort from several groups concerned with the confusion about the rahui, including the Tree Council and the local iwi. It was part of an ongoing battle against kauri dieback which, in just five years, had spread from 8 per cent to 19 per cent of the park’s kauri.
Infection rates were concentrated around where people walked.
Barton said most volunteers felt they achieved a lot and had positive communication with park visitors.
“The vast majority . . . either didn’t understand the rahui, didn’t know about it at all or didn’t know that the council closure didn’t match up with the rahui,” she said.
“Once they realised that they were not complying with the rahui and they were actually breaching it, they were quite horrified and really happy not to do that again.”
Last month council biosecurity manager Phil Brown told the the rahui had helped raise the profile of kauri dieback, and the importance of keeping off closed tracks.
“It has also been great to see locals out doing their part to spread the message, and respecting the rahui,” he said.
But Barton said there were still many visitors to the Waitakeres at the weekend. She hoped many would not be back until the rahui was lifted.
“At Fairy Falls track yesterday, for example, our two volunteers managed to clear the carpark by 20-30 cars just by going and talking to the people.”
There would be more events, Barton said, though she hoped talks within Auckland Council might lead to the park’s full closure.
“The council staff are put in a difficult position, the people asking them questions are confused and therefore you don’t get compliance. It’s not a simple message, it’s supercontradictory.”