A stepping stone to a Predator Free Taitokerau
Ka puawai te ngahere
ka puawai ngā manu
ka puawai te ira tangata
If the forest flourishes
the birds flourish and
the people flourish too
Predator Free Whangārei aims to protect, restore and enhance thousands of hectares of Northland’s native forests, coastal habitats and wetlands, allowing for greater protection and enhancement of threatened species of native fauna and flora.
It will link and connect several community-led landscape predator control programmes delivering environmental awareness and enhancement programmes.
The project will completely remove possums from 8,600ha of the Whangārei Heads area and utilise the narrow neck of the peninsula and numerous inlets and streams to protect from reinvasion.
Over five years Predator Free Whangārei aims to:
- Completely remove possums from the Whangārei Heads Peninsula and prevent re-establishment through the ongoing detection and removal of invading individuals.
- Intensively control possums over 20,000 ha in an adjacent buffer zone.
- Intensively control mustelids over 60,000 ha between Whangārei and Bream Head.
- Intensively control rodents within priority sites.
- Develop, implement and support an urban predator control programme to increase engagement and awareness of Whangārei Predator Free.
The project is intended as a stepping stone towards a Predator Free Taitokerau.
| Launched | July 10, 2020 |
| PF2050Ltd investment | $6 m |
| Total project investment | $27 m |
| Funding commitment | Five years |
| Project lead | Northland Regional Council |
| Māori partners | |
| Collaborators | Northland Regional Council, Whangārei District Council, Kiwi Coast, Department of Conservation, community conservation groups. |
| Ambition | Ambition 60,000 ha |
| Design | Possum removal from 8,600ha around the Whangārei Heads, with buffer zones, intensive mustelid and rodent control over 60,000ha and community engagement programmes around Whangārei city. |