Far North bush battlers runners-up in national community awards

Bay Bush Action Trustees Craig Salmon (second from left) and Stella Kake with Far North Deputy Mayor Tania McInnes and Trustpower representatives. PHOTO / SUPPLIED

A Far North conservation group has been named runner-up in the Trustpower National Community Awards.

The Bay Bush Action Trust, which won the Far North awards last year and was represented at the national finals by Craig Salmon and Stella Kake of Paihia, was up against 24 other regional winners vying for the national title in Rotorua on Saturday.

The finalists were judged on an eight-minute presentation plus a 1000-word report on their achievements and why they deserved to win.

Bay Bush Action was founded in 2011 to halt the decline of Opua Forest, which covers more than 4000ha behind Paihia and Opua. Like most Northland forests it has been hard-hit by pests which have stripped its trees and wiped out its birds.

Traplines set up by the group over 450ha have so far caught more than 9000 pests, including rats, possums, stoats, feral cats, mice and weasels. The group also supports community traplines along the edge of the forest, holds fortnightly cleanups of Bay of Islands beaches, and runs a youth conservation group called Ngahere Toa.

They have developed their own online trapping log, encouraging the community to join in, and even inmates at Ngawha Prison help by building trap boxes.

Trustee Stella Kake said all finalists did amazing work in their communities so she found having to persuade the judges to single out Bay Bush Action difficult.

"But the feedback was that they could feel the passion for what we do, that it comes straight from the heart. It can be a disheartening job, sometimes you feel your effort is just taking you around in circles, but we do it because we love it, and they could feel that."

The prize belonged to all the people who worked hard behind the scenes but never sought publicity or recognition.

"Bay Bush Action is nothing without the community and our volunteers," she said.

Ms Kake also paid tribute to the "totally deserving" winners, who she said were changing lives in a huge way. Invercargill-based Koha Kai employs disabled people to make meals for children who turn up to school without food.

The groups were judged on volunteer input, use of resources, initiative and creativity, effectiveness and impact. Half of each group's final score was awarded by a panel of judges, and half by the other finalists. Bay Bush Action's prize included $2500 cash.

The trustees were accompanied by Deputy Mayor Tania McInnes and Focus Paihia chairman Grant Harnish.

The group's runner-up placing continues the Far North's strong showing in the awards with overall wins by the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trust in 2011 and Focus Paihia in 2015.

■ Groups that want to enter this year's Far North awards have only until March 31 to do so. Entry forms are available from council service centres, from www.trustpower.co.nz/communityawards, or by calling 0800 87 11 11.