NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Thousands snubbing Waitakere Ranges rahui despite reminders by park rangers

Jamie Morton
By Jamie Morton
Multimedia Journalist·NZ Herald·
21 Jan, 2018 03:18 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Kauri on Clark Bush Track in the Waitakere Ranges. Vehicle counts outside the park indicated a high number of visitors this summer despite a rahui being in place since early December. Photo / Michael Craig

Kauri on Clark Bush Track in the Waitakere Ranges. Vehicle counts outside the park indicated a high number of visitors this summer despite a rahui being in place since early December. Photo / Michael Craig

Thousands of people are snubbing an iwi-imposed rahui over Auckland's Waitakere Ranges - even after being approached in the park and told about it.

Results from an on-site survey, provided to the Herald, showed just a small number of those visitors approached chose to leave when told about the rahui.

Te Kawerau a Maki imposed the unofficial ban over the 16,000ha park last month.

It was a last resort against kauri dieback disease which, in just five years, had spread from 8 per cent to 19 per cent of the park's kauri, with infection rates concentrated around where people walk.

Last week, former Auckland Council biosecurity manager Jack Craw told TV3's The AM Show how kauri in the ranges could be wiped out within three decades unless drastic action was taken.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Forest and Bird, one of several environment groups backing the rahui, has now accused Auckland Council of confusing people by not shutting the entire park.

While the rahui appeared to have discouraged many visitors in the days after it was declared in early December, the findings of surveys undertaken since suggested that was no longer the case.

Although figures hadn't been collated, vehicle counts outside the park indicated a high number of visitors this summer.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Of more than 1100 people approached by one council-employed kauri dieback ambassador in the week before Christmas, only a dozen chose to turn back because of the rahui.

Others approached this month voiced confusion over the park being open or closed, with one woman noting a sign at the entrance advising people of the rahui.

Another couple were reported as saying they knew about the rahui, but argued it was "up to the council" to close the ranges.

"We are Europeans, so we will listen and respect the final word of those who have the power to shut or leave the tracks open."

Discover more

Business

'Spectacular, unspoiled paradise' for sale in the Far North

20 Jan 04:00 PM
New Zealand

Council apologises over post suggesting Aucklanders ignore rāhui

06 Feb 08:48 PM
New Zealand

'Rāhui Warriors' deter public from Waitākere Ranges

19 Feb 02:19 AM
New Zealand

More of Waitakeres may close in disease fight

19 Feb 07:54 PM

Councillors last month considered a park-wide closure among five options, but voted to undertake targeted closures of affected tracks and areas.

The iwi's executive manager, Edward Ashby, acknowledged there were no statutory powers to enforce the rahui, but was nonetheless saddened many visitors were ignoring it.

The reasons ranged from a lack of awareness and confusion to people not taking the threat seriously and not respecting iwi, he said.

"We always knew that, without everyone else's buy-in that this was going to happen, but we had to make a stand."

He added there were still a large number of people observing the rahui, and choosing to go to the beach instead.

Forest and Bird's kauri dieback spokeswoman Dr Rebecca Stirnemann said closing some tracks and not others was confusing, and meant "hundreds of people are still visiting the area every day and putting the future of our great kauri forests at risk".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"As predicted, by not completely closing the Waitakeres, Auckland Council are sending mixed messages about how severe kauri dieback is in the ranges, and the terrible problem of humans spreading it."

Forest and Bird and other groups have called on the Government to enact a Controlled Area Notice, making it an offence to move soil, whether on shoes, equipment or vehicles.

"If we want Kauri trees around for future generations to enjoy we need every tool available to combat the spread of this terrible disease."

Forty-four high and medium-risk tracks were currently closed within the park, while a number of track surfaces had been or were in the process of being upgraded.

A team of 12 kauri dieback ambassadors had also been approaching visitors in the park to raise awareness about the disease and the importance of using cleaning stations and cleaning shoes properly.

More ambassadors were working at other sites, such as the Hunua Ranges and at the ferry terminals servicing Waiheke and Great Barrier.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We have found that the rahui has generally raised the profile of this issue, as well as the importance of using cleaning stations and keeping off closed tracks," council biosecurity manager Phil Brown said.

"It has also been great to see locals out doing their part to spread the message, and respecting the rahui."

Stephen Bell, the council's western principal ranger, acknowledged the council had "struggled a little" at communicating to people the council's position and that of the iwi.

"What we try to do is inform people that Te Kawerau a Maki have imposed a rahui on the ranges and what the rahui means, and then we also tell people that council has decided not to close the ranges in its entirety, but have closed a number of tracks within the park," he said.

"And the decision as to whether to come to the ranges and walk in it or not is a conscious decision they have to make."

While it was confident the measures it was taking were helping kauri, the council was also encouraging people to consider alternative options to the park.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

How end-to-end encryption shields online child exploitation

09 May 05:00 PM
New Zealand

Morning quiz: On two-person bicycle, what is the common term for the rider in front?

09 May 05:00 PM
Premium
New Zealand

Defence Force quietly shelves SAS elite unit trained for terrorism response

09 May 05:00 PM

One tiny baby’s fight to survive

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

How end-to-end encryption shields online child exploitation

How end-to-end encryption shields online child exploitation

09 May 05:00 PM

Internal Affairs blocked over one million attempts to access illegal content last year.

Morning quiz: On two-person bicycle, what is the common term for the rider in front?

Morning quiz: On two-person bicycle, what is the common term for the rider in front?

09 May 05:00 PM
Premium
Defence Force quietly shelves SAS elite unit trained for terrorism response

Defence Force quietly shelves SAS elite unit trained for terrorism response

09 May 05:00 PM
'Like a prison': Students in revolt at posh Auckland school, principal caught on secret recording

'Like a prison': Students in revolt at posh Auckland school, principal caught on secret recording

09 May 05:00 PM
Connected workers are safer workers 
sponsored

Connected workers are safer workers 

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP