Bay Bush Action has been working hard for more than a year on what it admits is an ambitious plan to double the size of its pest control project Opua State Forest, using the highly successful multi-species kill trap, the AT220. The project, Ngahere Ora, will extend the core trapping area deep into the forest, but at a cost of $294,720.
The project has taken a major step forward, however, with DOC granting $86,000 from its Community Conservation Fund.
BBA says the AT220 is the latest in trapping technology, and Ngahere Ora will be the first large project using them.
"We will be doing intensive possum and rat monitoring before and during, with all the data being available for other groups and projects to use," a spokesman said.
"The traps are battery-powered, which significantly reduces the ongoing cost compared with gas-powered traps.