“We would like to set some clear objectives, goals, and programmes for better pest control.”
Deer were beginning to eat bark from trees, a sign of a population under heavy pressure in terms of food supplies, he said.
“In terms of the responsibilities for pest control, that lies with the landowner, which is the district council.”
Fleury told the council’s aspirations and projects committee the groups weren’t asking for a large financial contribution from the council.
According to the groups’ report to the committee, $5000 would be needed annually for three years for the BPT Trust to facilitate management plan preparation.
That would go towards “specialist consultant opinion, publication and postage”.
The council would also need to provide support and access to information and documentation and provide a staff member to participate in the working-party process.
“Any large resource requirement would flow from that management plan when clear goals and objectives are set,” Fleury said.
He said the council had owned the land since 1903.
The Waitahinga Dam was built a year later and provided water to Whanganui until it was decommissioned in 1990.
The tramping club developed the Waitahinga trails network in the reserve that opened in 2013.
Councillor Charlotte Melser said she had walked the trails recently and was shocked at how sparse the floor was.
The trails are 12km past Bushy Park in Rangitatau East Rd.
“It’s really getting to be quite a concern at this stage,” she said.
Fleury said the groups were volunteering to lead the plan’s development, along with other stakeholder groups.
They included Ngaa Rauru, Forest and Bird Protection Society, and conservation volunteers.
The groups’ report to the committee said recent observations by users of the area had raised concerns about the impact of pest animals on the natural values of the area.
Goats and deer had decimated the forest understorey and tracking tunnels had identified high populations of mice, rats, hedgehogs and possums.
Stoats, feral cats and ferrets were also observed.
Deputy Mayor Helen Craig said she had been on the council for 10 years and couldn’t recall staff ever saying something should be done about the area.
“You’ve opened my eyes and I’m sitting here a little bit stunned.
“Obviously, from council’s point of view, it’s been a bit hands off — a bit of recreation area that people have been using.”
Fleury said the groups had asked the council for information on the area before putting their proposal together but were yet to receive any, and there was no information available on the council’s website.
Councillor Rob Vinsen said one question for the future would be whether the council continued to own the land, and the reasons for that.
“Your groups are very important to build that case.”
The area contained a robust population of pōpokatea (whitehead) and koekoea (long-tailed cuckoo), the report said.
There were also credible records of titipounamu (rifleman) and kiwi, and long-tailed bats would once have been common.
Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
