-prevent the spread of Kauri dieback disease

Kauri dieback can kill kauri of all ages. It’s a disease caused by a microscopic fungus-like organism, called Phytophthora agathidicida (PA). It lives in the soil and infects kauri roots, damaging the tissues that carry nutrients and water within the tree, effectively starving it to death.

There’s currently no proven cure or treatment and nearly all infected kauri die. The disease is easily spread through soil movements e.g. when soil is carried on dirty footwear, animals, equipment and vehicles. A pinhead size of soil is enough to spread the disease.

Kauri dieback has been detected (through testing) in a number of places, on public and private land, throughout the upper North Island (which is where kauri naturally occur), including in the Waitākere Ranges, on private land throughout Auckland and Northland, in the forest plantations of Omahuta, Glenbervie and Russell in Northland, on public land at Okura, Albany and Pakiri, in the Trounson Kauri and the Waipoua Forest parks in Northland, and on Great Barrier Island. It’s also been detected on the Coromandel Peninsula, at Hukarahi and on private land near Whangapoua.

(The content above is courtesy kauridieback.co.nz)