Play vital role in stemming rising wallaby population in Bay of Plenty

Dama wallaby (Macropus eugenii). Photo / Supplied

Residents and those visiting regions where wallaby populations are known to exist, including Bay of Plenty, can play a vital role in stemming the rising population of this pest.

And a spokesman says dama wallabies are currently in large concentrations in Whakarewarewa forest and around many of the Rotorua Te Arawa lakes.

In 2020 as part of the Jobs for Nature funding, $27 million was allocated over a four-year period to control wallabies in New Zealand.

The dama wallaby programme in the North Island is being delivered through partnerships with the Department of Conservation, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Waikato Regional Council, iwi, landowners and the community.

Dama Wallaby Programme lead (BOPRC), Ron Keyzer, says dama wallabies were first released near Lake Ōkāreka in 1912.

Since then they have been steadily expanding their distribution, and by 2007 it was estimated that they inhabited over 180,000ha of the North Island.

He says they are currently in large concentrations in Whakarewarewa forest and around many of the Rotorua Te Arawa lakes.

"It is predicated that if no control work is undertaken, a third of the North Island could be impacted by the spread of wallabies within 50 years."

The immediate focus of the dama wallaby programme is to eradicate wallaby populations outside the defined containment area and prevent their further spread by establishing a 'buffer zone" of control.

Over time the plan is to progressively control dama wallaby populations, working towards the containment epicentre, Ron says.

"Dama wallabies have a huge appetite for many of our native seedlings, shrubs, ferns and grasses which prevents their regeneration, changing the structure of our forests and reducing their ability to support our native birds and other wildlife.

"Wallabies also eat pasture grass and pine seedlings, competing with livestock for food and causing financial losses for the forestry and agricultural industries."

Ron says where wallaby populations exist outside of the containment area, the programme will work with the landowners to plan and deliver wallaby control (currently at no cost to landowners).

Landowners/managers located within the containment areas are advised to contact their council biosecurity staff for advice on wallaby control options to suit their situation.

John Walsh, Biosecurity New Zealand's director of readiness and response, says while wallabies are naturally elusive, hiding in bush or scrub during the day and coming out to feed at night, reported sightings of wallabies – dead, alive, paw prints or scat (poo or droppings) are fundamental to the success of stopping their spread.

"We have a real concerted effort under way in partnership with regional councils, the Department of Conservation, mana whenua, industry groups and landowners to try to contain existing wallaby population s...

"This partnership, the National Wallaby Eradication Programme, builds on existing wallaby management work, and with $27.5m funding over four years, it is boosting regional employment opportunities while also delivering environmental and economic benefits."

Red-necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus). Photo / Supplied

John says, "We can't afford to let wallaby populations spread further. Ultimately – we want the country to be wallaby-free. It's not a quick fix, and we need to get it right."

"Our estimates place the environmental and economic damage caused by wallabies reaching $84m a year in lost farm production and ecosystem services by 2025."

Wallabies are classified as an unwanted organism in the Biosecurity Act 1993, which means they can't be bred, sold, moved or exhibited without a permit.

What to do if you spot a wallaby
Reporting the wallaby is a way everyone in New Zealand can help protect the environment and treasured biodiversity. The public can report any sightings of wallabies anywhere in New Zealand to www.reportwallabies.nz.