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Protecting kauri starts with you

Kauri trees are found amongst other native trees throughout the Upper North Island. Kauri dieback disease is threatening their survival. But kauri will be saved – by people like you. It’s simply about stopping the movement of soil

Stop the spread – stop soil movement.

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What is kauri dieback?

Kauri dieback is caused by the microscopic soil-borne organism Phytophthora agathidicida (PA). It affects kauri of any age by infecting and damaging its feeder roots, which cuts nutrients to the tree. Nearly all trees infected with it will die, making stopping the spread of this organism very important.

How is it spread?

Kauri dieback is spread by any movement of contaminated soil, regardless of whether that soil came from around kauri trees or not. Human activity is the leading cause of infected soil movement (on footwear and equipment). But it can also be moved by animals such as feral pigs and unfenced cattle.

Because kauri dieback is not widespread in the Waikato region, it is a high priority to reduce further spread of the disease by stopping the movement of any contaminated soil.

Recognising the symptoms

Kauri infected with kauri dieback may have yellowing leaves, a loss of leaves and thinning canopy, dead branches, or lesions and gum bleeding around the base of its trunk. However, kauri can exhibit symptoms like these for other reasons too. The only way to confirm whether a tree has kauri dieback is through sampling and analysis of the soil around them. To report kauri that have these symptoms either report this pest or freephone 0800 NZ KAURI (0800 695874).

Stopping the spread

Action What you can do
Avoid
  • Keep away from the delicate kauri root zone (three times the drip zone of the tree)
  • Stay on tracks and stay out of closed tracks or areas protected by a rahui
  • Avoid kauri areas in wet, muddy conditions
  • Keep dogs on a leash when you’re in kauri areas - don’t drive or park in kauri areas
  • Stay away from kauri with vehicles, machinery or stock
Clean
  • Clean to soil-free, then disinfect all footwear, gear, vehicles and machinery BEFORE and AFTER leaving kauri areas
  • Use all cleaning stations you encounter, e.g., at track entrances
  • Keep clean footwear in your vehicle to change into after being in a kauri area
  • Maintain a boot cleaning area (e.g. community groups) or carry a hygiene kit to clean all footwear and equipment, horse hooves, mountain bikes etc.
Leave
  • Leave pruned or weeded material from kauri areas in situ or bag and disposed of it at an approved landfill site
  • Use low impact vegetation control methods near kauri and avoid kauri root zones – use methods that don’t disturb the soil like mowing or slashing, rather than grubbing if required.
Specific advice for rural landowners
Be informed
  • Know where kauri is on your property
  • Be familiar with the hygiene guidelines for activities in kauri areas
  • Be familiar with the symptoms of kauri dieback
Clean
  • Maintain a wash down area, and boot cleaning area on your property, and carry a hygiene kit - to clean footwear, equipment, vehicles, machinery, stock hooves, and dog paws to soil-free
  • Have farm-only footwear and clothing – that is only ever used on the farm
  • Clean hooves of animals new to the property if they have come from other kauri areas
Visitors and contractors
  • Include kauri dieback hygiene signage at the entrance to your property
  • Include kauri dieback awareness and hygiene requirements as part of your biosecurity briefing to and requirements for all visitors, and ensure they follow them
  • Ensure visitor clothing and footwear are clean on arrival or provide visitors with clean ‘farm-only’ boots and clothing
  • Have designated parking areas for visitors, away from kauri areas
  • One exit/entry point to property for all visitors
Exclude and protect
  • Fence stock out of kauri areas – to prevent movement of soil and trampling in the kauri root zone
  • Ensure fencing to protect kauri areas is well maintained to exclude stock
Stock
  • Know where you are buying stock from – don't purchase stock from other kauri areas
  • Keep stock out of kauri areas
  • Clean stock hooves to soil-free when moving them to and from areas with kauri
When building fences, tracks, and structures
  • Keep new fencing away from the kauri root zone, bearing in mind that this zone will increase as the tree grows.
  • Site farm buildings and tracks away from kauri root zones.
  • Site any tracks and roads low in the landscape and not on ridges above kauri.
  • Minimised the area of disturbance, e.g., the width of the verge and amount of soil movement/excavation
Source clean
  • Only use clean sourced materials for track development, e.g. gravel
  • Bring materials needed to one site, away from kauri

 

STOP THE SPREAD - A small commitment by you can make a big difference for kauri

The extensive kauri root zone extends three times the canopy radius (from trunk to dripline)

Rural landowners - kauri on your property?

Waikato Regional Council’s kauri team have worked with the rural industry groups, farmers, and the Kauri Programme to provide an easy to use guide for rural landowners to use to protect their kauri. The guide has a simple list of actions for landowners to take.

WRC/WRC-2019/kaurifarm.PNG

What are we doing about kauri dieback?

Stock proof fencing

We’re working with landowners to fence out stock from native bush with kauri. Contact us if you would like help with this work 0800 800 401.

Phosphite treatment programme

This autumn contractors BioSense are injecting phosphite into more than 2500 infected kauri near Whangapoua. While not a cure for the disease, research has shown that phosphite will boost a kauri's immune system and help them to fight back against the disease.