About us | Tiakina Kauri

Our Mission

Ka pērā te whiri o te kauri ki ōna hoa ngahere e tāwharautia ai te oranga o te ngahere, me whiri hoki mātou te taura tangata kia tāwharautia ai, kia whakamarumaruhia ai ō tātou ngahere kauri mō ngā uri whakaheke.

Just as kauri entwine with others to protect the health of the forest, we work together to protect and preserve our kauri lands for future generations.

Mā te rongo, ka mōhio; mā te mōhio, ka mārama

With discussion comes knowledge, with knowledge understanding

Our role in kauri protection

We are the national programme for kauri protection activities, our role is to:

Lead and invest in key kauri protection activities in partnership with mana whenua and collaborating agencies including the Department of Conservation (DOC) and regional councils across kauri lands - the upper North Island, where kauri naturally grows.
Implement a National Pest Management Plan (NPMP) with our partners, collaborating agencies and territorial local authorities to help protect kauri from the disease caused by the pathogen Phytophthora agathidicida (PA).

View to Manukau Harbour from Donald Mclean Summit 380m track in the Waitakere Ranges forest Auckland. Photo by Mita Harris — View to Manukau Harbour from Donald Mclean Summit 380m track in the Waitakere Ranges forest Auckland. Photo: Mita Harris

Our Partner – Mana whenua

Tiakina Kauri has a structure that is governed equally by Māori and the Crown and aims to support mana whenua to protect kauri in their forests and build capability and capacity to lead operational plans to protect kauri.

We are developing mana whenua relationships and building capacity across kauri lands: Te Tai Tokerau (Northland), Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), Waikato-Tainui, Pare Hauraki, Tauranga Moana.

Collaborating agencies

Department of Conservation (DOC) has responsibility for managing kauri protection on conservation land, which includes many of New Zealand’s most significant kauri forests. As part of its Kauri Dieback Recreation Project, DOC has upgraded many of its tracks, installed cleaning stations and introduced behaviour change initiatives. Where appropriate, tracks may also be partially or fully closed to protect kauri.

The department works closely with mana whenua and other partners to protect kauri. For example, in addition to its work across other kauri lands, DOC is working closely with Te Roroa in Northland’s Waipoua Forest (home of Tāne Mahuta), where a range of initiatives to protect kauri are underway.

Councils across kauri lands

Regional Councils across kauri lands have a vital role in managing kauri protection activities on land they own or administer and, in consultation with their communities. The councils support kauri protection activities through various initiatives, such as upgrading of track networks and engaging with landowners and local communities to help prevent the spread of PA. Kauri lands regional councils include Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

City and District Councils play an important role because they often administer local parks and reserves with kauri, and they set rules governing land use activities under their district plans.

Tiakina Kauri intends to support councils to implement the NPMP and we are working collaboratively to scope our roles and responsibilities in consideration to the functions that only councils can undertake such as district/regional planning, consent operations and setting development priorities