Waikato Regional Council’s kauri protection programme has won the Local and Central Government Award, while Maeroa Intermediate School has won the Biosecurity New Zealand Kura (School) Award for its Gully Restoration Project.
The school decided to rehabilitate the gully which had been a dumping ground for rubbish and was overgrown with invasive species which smothered the native plants.
The school turned it into an outdoor classroom and set up a nursery to grow plants.
Meanwhile, the council’s kauri protection programme involves several initiatives including providing cleaning stations, hygiene kits and equipment to community volunteer groups, plus funding to help landowners keep stock out of kauri areas by fencing.
The regional council team also launched a special virtual reality experience, Kauri Pou Kaitiaki, which immerses users in a 360-degree simulated world which highlights the cultural, spiritual and ecological significance of kauri trees and forests.
The VR experience featured a narrative rich in mātauranga and tikanga Māori concepts. The council also has a model of a kauri tree, created by Wētā Workshop, that staff take to local schools alongside the VR experience.
Waikato Regional Council Pest Plant team leader Darion Embling collected the award on behalf of the council.
“Our small kauri protection team aims to inspire and enable rural landowners, community groups, schools, iwi, stakeholders and industry groups to invest in a future that includes healthy kaurilands with giant kauri.”
Jithen Singh, of Eagle Technology, with representatives from Waikato Regional Council which won the Eagle Technology Local and Central Government Award at the Biosecurity Awards 2024.
He said the Waikato region had over 94,000 hectares of kaurilands. One of the areas with a multitude of kauri was The Manaia Kauri Sanctuary in the Coromandel which was home to more than 400 ancient kauri trees, some of which are over 1500 years old.
Embling said protecting kauri was important for the wider ecosystem.
“The survival of kauri is vital for the survival of other species that have evolved to live on or around them.”
Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said the awards celebrated inspiring and diverse initiatives which were making significant contributions to biosecurity in New Zealand.
“Our finalists and winners are undertaking groundbreaking science, research, and innovation.
“Their work is preserving and restoring New Zealand’s landscapes, empowering local community groups, fostering innovation, improving pest management practices, and boosting awareness and understanding of biosecurity throughout New Zealand.”
