Innovative cleaning stations to prevent the spread of kauri dieback disease are being erected at the entrances to kauri forests across the upper North Island with six set for Northland.
The roll-out of 20 innovative cleaning stations has started as part of the Department of Conservation's efforts to reduce the spread of kauri dieback, with the first one at the Kauri Loop track in the Hakarimata Scenic Reserve, Waikato, last week.
Stations will be installed on busy and high-risk DOC managed tracks in the kauri region, including at Mt Manaia Track and A.H. Reed Memorial Kauri Park, (entrance at Whareora Rd) in Whangarei, Trounson Kauri Park (entrance by the carpark) and Trounson Kauri Park (entrance by the camping area), in the Kaipara and Opua Kauri Walk and Kerikeri River Track (Rainbow Falls end), in the Far North. No date has been set to install the Northland cleaning stations, but it will be later this year.
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"Human traffic is the main way kauri dieback is spread, so cleaning footwear and gear and staying on the track is the best way to contain the disease and save these forest giants," Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage said.