Six North projects get $400k slice of $4.2m conservation pie

Russell Landcare Trust chairman David McKenzie says the new funding will go toward more pest control.

Six community-based conservation groups in Northland have been given a $400,000 slice of conservation pie.

That is the region's portion of a $4.2 million Department of Conservation's 2017 Community Fund that has been shared out to more than 112 projects across New Zealand.

Of the Northland slice, over the next three years $76,000 goes to the Russell Landcare Trust's kiwi protection project.

The funding will help control predators and other pests across 3400ha of the Russell Peninsula, said chairman David McKenzie.

"I am especially pleased that DoC had joined the other agencies, foundations and donors in supporting this project.

''Russell Landcare has been undertaking native revegetation, pest and weed control on conservation land since 2002. We have a management agreement with DoC to continue this until 2029.''

Projects shored up by the funding will help increase the mainland buffer zone to prevent predators swimming out to the pest-free islands Project Island Song has established in the Bay of Islands.

The Russell project also aims to increase kiwi numbers over the next few years to increase the local birds' genetic diversity.

Project Island Song's War on Weeds, an on-the-ground implementation of the Ipipiri Islands' (Bay of Islands) weed management strategy, gets a $49,000 boost while Te Tangi O Te Taiao, a co-ordinated community approach to reducing weeds in Kaipara district, gets $64,800.

Mangatete Landcare Group, a private landcare group in the eastern Kaitaia area, gets $63,000 for predator control, primarily mustelids and feral cats, on public and private land.

The Waipoua Forest Trust gets $40,000 toward reducing weeds to near zero density in the Millennium Kauri Forest and in a buffer zone surrounding the Waipoua kauri forest.

Further north, the Warawara Titi pounamu (Rifleman) protection project gets $106,700.

The area is home to the only mainland population of Titi pounamu/rifleman north of Te Aroha/Pureora. An intensive, focused predator control programme is planned to protect this regionally significant population.

Sue Reed-Thomas, Northern North Island operations director, said DoC directly supporting community organisations meant more conservation work, more New Zealanders becoming active in the outdoors and greater awareness of New Zealand's unique conservation challenge.