Wellington gets $3.27 million in funding dedicated to eradicating pests

August 8, 2018

Strathmore, Miramar and Seatoun will be the first suburbs in the initiative, with community groups stepping up.

The Government has committed $3.27 million over five years to make Wellington the first predator-free capital in the world.

The funds will be shared between Predator Free 2050 - a Government-owned charitable company - and Capital Kiwi Project, which is a charitable trust.

Efforts will largely be led by community groups, with many locals already involved in trapping efforts around the city.

Miramar, Seatoun and Strathmore will be the first suburbs to be targeted, as they lie on a peninsula which makes eradication easier.

Wellington already has the predator-free sanctuary Zealandia, which in recent years has led to a dramatic increase in local populations of many native bird species.

Mayor Justin Lester said the project will eventually allow for kiwi to be relocated back into the city, and will promote the populations of other species like kākā, tieke, kārearea, kākāriki and little penguin.

Environment Minister Eugenie Sage said the Wellington community has already shown a consider desire to eradicate predators in the capital.

"Wellingtonians have shown their commitment to saving nature by achieving the country’s first predator free suburb with Crofton Downs, and a further 43 of the city’s 52 suburbs are running active community-based predator control programmes," Ms Sage said in a release.

"New Zealand has a predator crisis – 82 per cent of native birds are threatened with, or at risk of extinction.

"From the backyards to the backblocks of the country, central and local government, iwi, whānau, hāpu, landholders, conservation groups, businesses, philanthropic organisations, communities and individual Kiwis love our unique native plants and wildlife and want to see them protected."

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