A hapū in Raglan has teamed up with Waikato Regional Council to help avoid utter devastation caused by possums on their whenua.
Te Iwi Tahi o Karioi possum control members Photo: SUPPLIED/ Waikato Regional Council
Te Iwi Tahi o Karioi is a hapū-led possum control group focused on monitoring and controlling possums on their land.
Team leader Sandy Hounuku said their aim was not only to preserve local biodiversity but to reduce the amount of 1080 being dropped.
"We have been doing pest control on our land since about 2006, anyway. We could see the utter devastation that the possums were doing, and we wanted to try and do some work ourselves."
Hounuku said a lot of the work started at the marae. Some whānau wanted the control group to avoid certain areas, including areas of significance, but were overall supportive of the programme.
The regional council welcomed the partnership and the employment and training opportunities it had created.
The council has authority to monitor and control possums on the property of landowners and occupiers but council contractor Kevin Christie said the partnership with hapū was a win for everyone.
"When we started ... they knew very little in the beginning, but now they are experts," he said.
The hapū approached the council, which provided necessary training and education on how to use the equipment.
Now, contracts and employment opportunities are being given to hapū members.
"The boys working on their own land is the best outcome, but now they can go and do a contract anywhere in New Zealand and have been working alongside my team," said Christie.
Te Iwi tahi o Karioi so far has managed to lower the catch rate from 8.97 percent down to 2.12 percent across their 675 hectare block, exceeding their target of 5 percent.
Hounuku, who has resided in Raglan his whole life said: "For me being able to have our field team roll out of bed and work your own land is pretty cool".
