Ngati Hei leads kauri recovery at Whitianga

Kelly Macpherson, Joe Davis and Howard Saunders are among the Ngati Hei-led kauri recovery north of Whitianga. Photo / Alison Smith

The ground zero of kauri dieback on the Coromandel has been returned to local iwi Ngati Hei to lead what's hoped will be the future restoration of the forest.

The 377 hectare Hukarahi Block north of Whitianga was where kauri dieback was first discovered on the Coromandel Peninsula.

An example of Kauri dieback as seen at Maungaroa Ridge, Piha. Photo / Supplied

It was closed in 2013 to mitigate the risk of visitors spreading the disease.

There is currently no known cure or treatment for kauri dieback, but its spread can be halted by ensuring the micro-organism is not spread by visitors or pests.

An official announcement was made on Friday from the office of the Acting Minister of Conservation, Dr Ayesha Verrall, that $1.475 million Jobs for Nature funding will create more than 20 roles in the area to help the infected forest at Hukarahi.

Among those on the project team is Howard Saunders, a former Wintec tutor and horticultural expert with more than 50 years' experience who has helped grow skills in the community.

Already the team has seven people working within the project.

Howard says there will be a focus on other plants in the ngahere (forest) at Hukarahi, which is a habitat for several other taonga species, including kiwi.

Initiatives being considered include planting kanuka.

Ngati Hei kaumatua Joe Davis said roles on the project were an opportunity for healing and growth in multiple ways.

"We will have kaitiaki rangers who could be working on their own whenua [land] from the time they leave school. I would see it being the whānau that could be the rangers."

He said working alongside the community and neighbouring landowners was key as keeping the area relatively undisturbed would reduce the impact of the disease.

"Not everything has died. The forest has a natural resilience, and it's about how we put the life back into the forest."

Verrall said more than 20 roles would be created across three years for the project.

Included will be more research into the scope and spread of the disease, predator control and boundary fencing.

"Unlike Auckland and Northland, where kauri dieback is more common, the block is now in a unique position of having limited infection sites.

"Supporting the employment of whānau to undertake biosecurity kaitiaki roles is a vital next step to protecting the mauri of the forest.

Kauri is considered a taonga species for Māori and is seen as a te whakaruruhau (great protector) in the forest, with many smaller species sheltering beneath the arms of the giant trees.

The project is part of the Government's response to helping those regions most affected by Covid-19. Jobs for Nature aims to create training and learning opportunities and empower iwi and hapū to lead conservation efforts.