“Population estimates set wallabies at more than one million, but as they are nocturnal and excellent at hiding, public reports are one of the best ways we can manage the spread.”
With no natural predators, two introduced species in particular are causing millions in damage each year — the dama wallaby in Rotorua, and the Bennett's wallaby in Canterbury and North Otago.
“If left unchecked, by 2025 wallabies could cost New Zealanders around $84 million a year in damage. Over the next 50 years, they could spread through a third of the country,” Mr Walsh said.
“Wallabies graze on bush undergrowth, and, when moving into an area, can quickly decimate new shoot growth, destroying our native species' habitats and food sources.
“What were once lush forest understories turn into barren wastelands, meaning that in the coming years our native bush won't regenerate.
“Their impacts are felt beyond our native bush. They compete with livestock for food, damage fences, foul up pastures preventing them from being a food source, eat planted forest seedlings and contribute to erosion and poor water quality.”
While there have not been any sightings of wallaby in Tairāwhiti in recent years, if they were found here they could cause significant damage.
“The first and only live wallaby shot in Tairāwhiti to date was by a council pest officer carrying out night shooting in the late 1990s,” said Gisborne District Council team leader biosecurity Phil Karaitiana.
“The female wallaby was taken to a local veterinary clinic to determine age and if she had borne any offspring. The wallaby was an older female and barren.”
Further investigation by council officers found the wallaby was once a pet and was released into the environment when the owner left the district.
The council has responded to two reports of dead roadside wallabies over the past 25 years, the most recent from a passing motorist between Tikitiki and Te Araroa.
“On searching the reported location, officers located a dead possum on the roadside,” Mr Karaitiana said.
The second report was about a dead wallaby on a rural roadside.
“The area surrounding this location was fully searched. There was no evidence of wallabies being present and surrounding landowners had not seen any wallabies on their properties.
“To date, no wallabies have been sighted at this location and we believe the dead wallaby was dumped on the roadside.”
GDC has been part of a regional council collective since May 2022, supporting a national awareness programme and reporting wallaby sightings by the public.
“This centralised reporting and data collection point enables updated reports of sightings within core infested areas as well as suspected sightings outside a controlled area,” Mr Karaitiana said.
“This information is shared between the regions.”
GDC's Regional Pest Management Plan (RPMP) lists the dama wallaby as an exclusion pest animal in this region.
“Council's RPMP objective is to keep these pests out of Tairāwhiti.”
• If people spot a wallaby, they should do their bit and report it at
