Part of the 17 hectares of rejuvenated native forest at Motumokai Bush in the Pōrangahau catchment, after being fenced for seven years. Photo / Supplied
Part of the 17 hectares of rejuvenated native forest at Motumokai Bush in the Pōrangahau catchment, after being fenced for seven years. Photo / Supplied
More than $1 million dollars has been committed to protect and enhance 374.5 hectares of critically endangered indigenous forest in Hawke's Bay.
Hawke's Bay Regional Council gave an update on the status of it's ecosystem prioritisation programme at a meeting of the environments and integrated catchments committee last week.
Team leader biosecurity biodiversity Mark Mitchell said in a statement that the $1.3 million funding from regional council, Jobs for Nature and QEII National Trust funding will go towards deer fencing and pest control at seven native forest sites.
Those sites are Birch Hill, Motumokai Bush, Puahanui Bush, Gilles Bush, Pakuratahi Bush, Lochinvar remnant, and Whittle Bush.
Feral deer eat through the understorey of forests, which changes their composition and affects the food and habitat of other species such as native birds.
A council spokesperson said some of these locations were home to Hawke's Bay's most acutely threatened native species, including tōtara, black beech and northern rātā.
Mitchell said it wouldn't have been possible to fence the four largest of these sites without the additional funding from Jobs for Nature or collaboration with the regional council's Erosion Control Scheme and Open Spaces.
"We've faced challenges with costs of material like deer netting and posts, difficulties in getting contractors and material, and the nature of the sites requiring specialist equipment. Despite these challenges, five out of the seven projects are under way and on track to be completed by this year, with the other two set to begin in March," he said.
Motumokai Bush before predator fencing. The area has sixty five recorded native plants including Northern rātā, extremely rare in Hawke's Bay, and Pukatea, uncommon in Hawke's Bay. Photo / Supplied
Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee chairwoman and regional councillor Hinewai Ormsby said this work is key to support indigenous biodiversity in New Zealand, which is in crisis.
"Too much of our biodiversity is just hanging on. Hawke's Bay has lost 77 per cent of the original indigenous forest that once covered the region. This Ecosystems Prioritisation programme will help secure what remnants of biodiversity we have left," she said in a statement.
She said the programme was a step forward in addressing biodiversity decline, focusing on sustaining, protecting, and improving a full representation of native species and habitats.
"A big thank you to the biodiversity and biosecurity team for their hard mahi on the ground in protecting our taonga species."
This year there is also $100,000 from Ministry for the Environment going to dune protection in the Porongahau area.
The regional council has also been delivering a $1,044,000 Te Uru Rakau funded 1 Billion Trees native planting programme, in partnership with QEII and Landcare Trusts, which saw about the planting of about 72 hectares of native plants across Hawke's Bay last season and will support about another 102 hectares this season.
