About the National Plan
In 2021, the New Zealand Government allocated Biosecurity New Zealand $32 million over five years to implement a National Pest Management Plan for the protection of kauri.
A National Pest Management Plan is the strongest form of protection available under the Biosecurity Act 1993 to help protect kauri from the PA pathogen. The National PA Pest Management Plan came into effect on 2 August 2022.
What is in the National Plan?
The National Plan provides a consistent approach for managing the risk of the PA pathogen across Aotearoa New Zealand, and it brings together government, Māori, councils and communities to lead and work collaboratively on kauri protection. It also provides a framework and funding for kauri protection activities, especially for mana whenua.
The objectives of the National Plan include reducing the spread and impact of the PA pathogen, maintaining areas free of the PA pathogen, and managing access to kauri forests to help protect kauri.
At the heart of the National Plan is Te Tiriti o Waitangi and a partnership between the Crown and Māori. The aspiration is to embed active co-design and collaborative implementation approaches into the kauri protection programme of work carried out under the Plan.
The National Plan sets out mechanisms which will be used to increase protection for kauri, as well as 10 rules to help protect kauri from the PA pathogen. The priority is to protect kauri forests and stands (groups) of kauri trees.
Who is implementing the National Plan?
Tiakina Kauri, which is part of Biosecurity New Zealand, is the management agency for the National Plan. It is responsible for implementing and managing the National Plan in partnership with mana whenua and in collaboration with the Department of Conservation and regional and district councils in Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Auckland and Northland, where kauri naturally grow.
As part of the National Plan, Tiakina Kauri works actively with its collaborating organisations and with mana whenua to identify kauri protection initiatives, which are approved by the Tiakina Kauri Governance Group for funding.
Operational plan
In November 2022, Tiakina Kauri released a national operational plan, which details how the objectives of the National Plan are to be achieved during the period November 2022 to June 2024, including how funding is allocated and priorities are set.
The operational plan was developed in consultation with the Department of Conservation and selected regional councils, and has been endorsed by the Tiakina Kauri Governance Group.
You can download the national operational plan here:
How will the new rules work?
Tiakina Kauri is helping people understand and comply with the new rules through education and awareness programmes.
In cases of clear and substantial or continued non-compliance with the rules, prosecution or infringement fees could be applied. Fees range from $300 (Rule 8) to $400 (Rule 9). An individual or corporation could also be charged under the Biosecurity Act 1993, which could result in a criminal conviction with a maximum fine of $5,000 for an individual and $15,000 for a corporation.
More information about the National Plan
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Summary of the 10 rules
- If you visit a Kauri forest
- If you have Kauri on your land, or graze stock in or near a Kauri forest
- If you grow Kauri for sale
- Biosecurity (National PA Pest Management Plan) Order 2022
For more information about the National Plan and how it will be implemented, see the National PA Pest Management Plan FAQs.
What consultation was undertaken for the National Plan?
The Kauri Protection Programme ran three rounds of public consultation from June 2018 to March 2019, including meetings and hui in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Coromandel and Bay of Plenty.
The consultation covered the strategy for protecting kauri and how to put it into practice, a draft proposal for a National PA Pest Management Plan, and options for an agency to manage the National Plan.
About 1,000 people attended almost 60 meetings and hui, with others joining online. There were 227 formal submissions.
In general, people agreed the proposals would make a positive difference in controlling the disease.