Tracks shut in kauri battle
Eleven Waikato walking tracks will be either closed or partially closed by the regional council in an effort to stop the spread of kauri dieback disease.
Waikato Regional Councillors voted in favour of the proposal from the Department of Conservation to close the tracks at its July meeting on Thursday.
Eight of the 11 tracks would be partially closed and three fully closed. All but one of the tracks is in the Hauraki district.
The council backed the closures in a draft submission prepared by staff to be sent to DOC.
Speaking to councillors, biosecurity officer Kim Parker said upgrading or closing the tracks was the best way to stop the spread of the disease to other kauri. It moved at a glacial pace by itself and moved to new areas when it hitched a ride on people or animals.
‘‘It’s incredibly slow. What will move it between forest areas are the identified vectors which are people, stock and feral animals. It’s not going to move into areas by itself.’’
DOC first proposed the closure in a document released on June 18. It is tasked with managing kauri dieback on public conservation land, and received funding from the government in 2014 to mitigate the spread of kauri dieback by humans on tracks.
The track closures would provide opportunity for upgrades to protect kauri and would provide the best opportunity to prevent the disease spreading.
Kauri dieback is an incurable disease caused by the soil-borne, microscopic organism, Phytopthora agathidicida. Parker said there were limited tools available to manage the disease and the best opportunity to protect kauri is to prevent the spread of soil.
The tracks earmarked for partial closure are:
Booms – Orange Peel Corner Track, Hihi Trig to Kopu Hikuai Road Summit Track, Hauraki Lynch Stream Tramping Track, Hauraki Maratoto 4x4 and Extreme Loop, Hauraki Moss Creek Camp-Pinnacles Hut/Hydro, Camp Jn Hauraki Twin Kauri Short Walk and the Hauraki Wainora Tramping Track. Those proposed to be closed are: Hihi Stream to Motutapere Tt, Waipaheke Motorbike Track and Kauri Route, Te Kauri Park.
‘‘It’s incredibly slow. What will move it between forest areas are the identified vectors which are people, stock and feral animals’’. Biosecurity officer Kim Parker