Whakahaere Riha (Pest Management)
Managing the pest plants and animals that undermine the mana and resilience of our whenua is a responsibility we want to manage more completely and independently.
There are a range of plant species currently present in Waiorua which require active management, and the ongoing risk of rat or stoat re-introduction requires a regime of regular trap and bait station monitoring.
Kapiti is one of Aotearoa’s most significant introduced-predator-free sanctuaries, the result of over 125 years of dedicated pest control mahi. Introduced animals like rats, stoats, and possums have been eradicated, and ongoing biosecurity work by Ngāti Toa and DOC helps keep them out.
While the Nature Reserve is co-managed by DOC and iwi, this arrangement doesn’t cover the whānau land at Waiorua. DOC has historically maintained pest animal trap lines through this area, but the management of pest plants on our whenua sits with us. With support from DOC in the form of expert advice and survey data, we can tackle invasive species that threaten the regeneration of our native ngāhere.
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