Couple create large private refuge
A 38-hectare area of native bush has become one of the largest private areas of protected conservation land close to Wellington.
The block south of Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt, was placed in a Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) National Trust covenant by David and Pauline Innes, who have owned the land since 1965.
Wellington QEII Trust regional representative Trevor Thompson said the Innes’ block was now the largest single area in the trust’s protection in Wellington or the Hutt Valley. It would become an excellent refuge for native plants and animals once the remaining large mammalian pests were cleared, and trap lines for possums and rats could be established within the fence, he said.
He said the block was a ‘‘bit of a score’’ for the region. Because of Wellington and the Hutt Valley’s relatively early history of colonisation, large areas of bush had ‘‘been trashed’’.
The block was mostly 80-yearold regenerating native bush but there were still large rimu and beech trees in the area that had survived historic logging activity.
David Innes said the idea was to protect the block from deer, pigs and goats. Deer in particular had been a growing problem in the area since arriving about 25 years ago. ‘‘Virtually all the understorey has been eaten out.
‘‘Before [deer] turned up, you could barely walk through the bush it was so tight. Now you could practically ride a horse through.’’
Thompson said the return of understorey species such as mistletoe and coprosma would boost the ecological value of the area. An ungulate-proof fence to keep out larger mammals has been built around the block, however, the task of clearing the animals left inside the perimeter would have to wait until alert level 4 coronavirus measures are withdrawn.