Opinion: How do we save the kauri from disaster?

Aerial view of infected kauri tree in Waipoua forest. Photo / MPI

Comment: Farmers need to take notice of regulations to protect kauri from the spread of kauri dieback writes Federated Farmers Hauraki-Coromandel provincial president Kevin Robinson.

Are we in the very real position of losing kauri?

This could be devastating to the communities that find a lot of social worth in the trees and for New Zealand's biodiversity as a whole.

Kauri dieback or Phytopthora Agathidicida (PA) has been relentless - when it comes to kauri, PA is taking no prisoners.

Most farmers on the Coromandel Peninsula will have to deal with new local government regulations and potential new national regulations around protecting kauri trees from PA.

There are three confirmed areas on the Coromandel Peninsula with PA.

Federated Farmers Hauraki-Coromandel provincial president Kevin Robinson. Photo / Supplied

These new regulations will be brought in through the National Pest Management Strategy under the Biosecurity Act.

Because PA spreads through soil movement this will have significant impact on some farmers so we do need you all to take notice.

The disease does not care if you are a fifth generation farmer or a farm flipper.

These upcoming regulations will have a big impact on recreational park and track users as well with track closures and restricted access to kauri areas.

The whole nature-accessing community is impacted.

Read more from Federated Farmers here.

The Ministry for Primary Industries has recently been running consultation meetings in our area looking for constructive feedback and input ahead of the submission process.

Please take part. If you have ideas about how this situation can be managed please put them forward.

National Federated Farmers has sent in a submission.

After attending one of the consultation meetings it is obvious to me that preventing the spread of PA will be a huge task and I can only hope the scientists can find a cure for this disease as soon as possible.

Kauri cannot become like our other endangered native flora and fauna where the only place they can safely grow is on some island out in the middle of the sea.

That is not a life for a proud Kiwi species.