Attachment 1 Update on kauri dieback management June 2019.pdf

Memorandum
5 June 2019
To:
Environment and Communi
  ty Committee, the Independent
Māori Statutory Board and all local boards
Subject:
Update on kauri dieback management, including track
upgrade plan for the Waitākere Ranges
From:
Gael Ogilvie, General Manager Environmental Services
Rachel Kelleher, Regional Parks Manager
Purpose
1.  To provide an update on:
•  kauri dieback management in the Waitākere and Hunua Ranges Regional Parks over the
past twelve months, including the track upgrade plan for the Waitākere Ranges
•  Auckland Council’s wider kauri dieback management programme.
Summary
•  In May 2018, Auckland Council closed nine high risk tracks in the Hunua Ranges Regional
Park and the entire forested area of the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park, except for 34 tracks,
to manage the spread of kauri dieback.
•  Compliance monitoring on closed tracks shows high levels of compliance overall. For most of
the last 12 months Auckland Council has focused on encouraging voluntary compliance.
Regulatory enforcement has recently been introduced to support this.
•  Since the closures, maintenance or upgrades have been completed on 20 open tracks in the
Hunua Ranges, Waitākere Ranges and other regional parks to ensure tracks remain at
required standards.
•  Eight closed tracks have also been re-opened following upgrade works in Waitākere Ranges
Regional Park.
•  The result of these works is that 18km more of track are now open to the public and upgraded
to kauri safe standard, with up to 26 kms expected to be kauri safe by 30 June 2019.
•  In February 2019 public consultation was undertaken on a plan for prioritising further track
upgrades within Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. A strong theme from this consultation was a
desire to see more recreational access to the ranges (see report on feedback in appendix A).
•  Based on this feedback, staff have now confirmed the final track upgrade plan for the
Waitākere Ranges Regional Park (Appendix B). The main change to the plan is the inclusion of
more tracks for re-opening, including Spragg’s Bush, Cutty Grass and McElwain Lookout
Tracks. Several other tracks have also been identified for further investigative work to
determine options for partial re-opening. Te Kawerau ā Maki supports the plan.
•  Across the region, local parks have been prioritised for track upgrades based on kauri
ecosystem value and recreational use (see Appendix C). Tracks in 17 local parks have been
closed and another 29 local parks wil  be fully or partially closed over the next fortnight.
•  Scoping is almost complete to assess track upgrade requirements in high priority local board
areas. Local board approvals for these works wil  be sought from July to December 2019.
•  The National Pest Management Plan for kauri dieback has been presented to Cabinet and is
expected to be operative by late 2019. Some elements of the plan are more stringent than
previously signalled and may require the closure of some additional tracks in local parks. Staff
wil  provide further updates on the implications of the National Pest Management Plan for the
Council’s budgets and land management approach once confirmed.

Context/Background
2.  In April 2018, the Environment and Community Commit ee resolved to close high-risk tracks
within the Hunua Ranges Regional Park and forested areas of the Waitākere Ranges Regional
Park to respond to the on-going spread and impacts of kauri dieback (ENV/2018/44).
3.  Track and park closures were implemented from 1 May 2018, at the same time as Controlled
Area Notices were placed over both the Waitākere and Hunua Ranges regional parkland by the
Ministry for Primary Industries. A Controlled Area Notice is a mechanism under the Biosecurity
Act that places controls to manage the movement of risk material, in this instance soil, across
open tracks and parkland
4.  When they approved the closures, the Environment and Community Committee requested that
staff report back on the closures and other kauri dieback management activities after twelve
months.
5.  This memo provides an update on park and track closures, and the proposed track upgrade
strategy for the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park (see Appendix A). It also provides an update
on recent developments in the wider regional context for kauri dieback management.
Discussion
Waitākere and Hunua Ranges Regional Parks: Compliance with closures
6.  Since the closures were implemented compliance has been undertaken to enforce the Controlled
Area Notices and assist with the closure of tracks. The initial focus was on education to support
voluntary compliance, and data collection to monitor visitor responses to the track closures.
7.  Over the past 16 months staff have undertaken track monitoring on closed tracks using track
counters and cameras. Monitoring has recorded some ongoing use on the majority of tracks
although this has been at relatively low levels, with an average of five to six people movements
per week. The main exception was Kitekite Track where approximately 19 people movements
per week were recorded. As a high-use track this represents less than three per cent of normal
use (pre-closure) during that time.
8.  Over Easter 2019 a compliance ‘blitz’ was carried out over four days with up to 30 staff a day in
the Hunua and Waitākere Ranges. Overall compliance was high, with only 0.2 per cent non-
compliance observed. Over 3,500 people were observed in total. Of these, seven were non-
compliant and were issued trespass notices. A further 50 received warning notices based on
vehicles parked at closed track locations.
9.  The majority of non-compliant visitors spoken to in the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park were
local residents.
10.  The Licensing and Regulatory Compliance Department have taken over kauri dieback
compliance for a 12-month trial period, starting April 2019. Track ambassadors wil  continue to
support the team with education and advocacy over the high usage summer months.
Waitākere and Hunua Ranges Regional Parks: Infrastructure update
Hunua Ranges Regional Park – track closures and upgrades
11.  From 1 May 2018, nine high risk tracks were closed in the Hunua Ranges. The focus over the
past twelve months has been to ensure that open tracks are maintained to a standard that
enables visitors to meet the Controlled Area Notice requirements. This has been achieved
through maintenance of open tracks (to ensure they meet ‘dry foot’ standards) and upgrades to
meet current best practice kauri safe standards where required.
12.  As shown in Table 1 below maintenance and upgrades have been completed on five tracks and
planning work is underway for four more, including the closed Waharau Loop Track.
13.  The Hunua Falls have also had two new multi-access cleaning stations designed and installed at
the entrance and exit points.

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Table 1. Hunua closed track upgrade progress
Track name
Upgrade status
Track status
Wairoa-Cossey Track
Maintenance to keep to kauri safe standard
Open
Cossey Gorge Track
Maintenance to keep to kauri safe standard
Open
Falls Loop Track
Maintenance to keep to kauri safe standard
Open
Wairoa Loop Track
Upgrade to kauri safe standards completed
Open
Suspension Bridge Track
Upgrade to kauri safe standards completed
Open
Massey Track
Works planned
Open (Kauri
Loop section
remains closed)
Southern Wairoa Loop Track
Works planned
Open
Ernie’s Track
Works planned
Open
Waharau Loop Track
Works planned
Remains closed
Waitākere Ranges Regional Park – track closures and upgrades
14.  The entire forested area of the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park was closed to the public except
for 34 tracks which remained open or partially open. The tracks that remained open are subject
to a Controlled Area Notice.
15.  The focus over the past twelve months has been to bring closed tracks to current best practice
kauri safe standards so they can be re-opened. Al  track upgrades include assessment of
hygiene station requirements and, where necessary, new stations are being installed. As Table 2
shows, eight closed tracks have been upgraded to kauri safe standards and re-opened.
16.  Maintenance work has also been carried out on six open tracks to ensure they remain at required
standards, particularly as many are experiencing increased use as a result of closures.
Table 2. Progress on Waitākere closed and open track upgrades
Track name
Upgrade status
Track status
Lower Nature Trail
Upgrade to kauri safe standards completed
Re-opened
Kitekite Track
Upgrade to kauri safe standards completed
Re-opened
Byers Walk
Upgrade to kauri safe standards completed
Re-opened
Knutzen Track
Upgrade to kauri safe standards completed
Re-opened
Connect Track (partial from
Upgrade to kauri safe standards completed
Re-opened
Kitekite Track to top of fal s)
Comans Track
Upgrade to kauri safe standards completed
Re-opened
Zig Zag Track
Upgrade to kauri safe standards completed
Re-opened
Mercer Bay Loop
Maintenance to keep to kauri safe standard
Open
Lake Wainamu Track
Maintenance to keep to kauri safe standard
Open
Beveridge Track
Maintenance to keep to kauri safe standard
Open
Arataki Lookout Track
Maintenance to keep to kauri safe standard
Open
Upper Nature Trail
Maintenance to keep to kauri safe standard
Open
Upper Nihotupu Walk
Maintenance to keep to kauri safe standard
Open

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Waitākere Ranges – Consultation on track re-openings
17.  In February 2019, a public consultation process was carried out to seek feedback on a draft plan
for re-opening tracks in the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park from 2019/2020 onwards.
18.  The plan proposed tracks for upgrade work and reopening over a five-year work programme. The
purpose of the consultation process was to seek feedback on how the public would like to see
the listed tracks prioritised for opening and whether there were any additional tracks that should
be included or removed from the plan.
19.  Over 700 pieces of feedback were received during the eight-week consultation period, through
various channels, including an online survey, community meetings and drop-in sessions, and
one-on-one meetings with affected residents. Data and comments from the consultation process
were analysed and reported back to Council (see Appendix A) by Buzz Channel, a consultancy
with expertise in public engagement processes.
20.  A little over a third of submitters (35 per cent) agreed with the proposed track re-opening plan,
while 61 per cent disagreed, saying the proposed plan did not provide a good balance between
recreational experiences and forest health.
21.  Those who felt the proposed plan provided an appropriate balance were generally supportive of
the tracks selected for prioritisation and the plan around which tracks would be open over the
next five years. They also felt the proposed plan balanced the need for recreation in the
Waitākere Ranges with the need to protect kauri and forest health more broadly.
22.  The general sentiment among those who do not feel the current plan provides the right balance,
is a desire for more access to the Waitākere Ranges. Very few submit ers identified tracks that
should be removed from the plan.
Waitākere Ranges – Track re-opening work programme
23.  In finalising the list of tracks to be included in the detailed five-year track upgrade work
programme (Appendix B) staff have taken into account the submissions received through the
public consultation process and input from Te Kawerau ā Maki and workshop discussions with
the Waitākere Ranges Local Board. This combined feedback has been considered alongside
criteria aimed at supporting forest health and reducing the spread of kauri dieback disease.
24.  Staff have also considered alignment with the National Pest Management Plan being developed
by the Ministry of Primary Industries, which includes mandatory standards for management
agencies and landowners.
25.  In developing the timing of track work in the plan, operational factors have also been considered,
such as:
•  would the proposed works require consent
•  current contractor and staff capacity
•  opportunities to deliver works in an efficient manner whilst also ensuring a good
geographic spread of work, recognising the local importance of many tracks.
26.  The main changes to the plan, following public feedback are the inclusion eight additional tracks
including Spragg’s Bush, Cutty Grass and McElwain Lookout Tracks for re-opening within the
next five years. Further investigative work is planned for some additional tracks identified as
important to the community where partial track openings may be possible.
27.  The plan is supported by Te Kawerau ā Maki.
28.  As shown in Appendix B, most of the tracks which have not been included for upgrades in the
next five years either:
a.  run through areas of high value, non-symptomatic kauri or are in the inner forest area,
meaning that re-opening them would be inconsistent with the biosecurity approach and
principles of the rāhui
b.  were only mentioned by a very small number of submitters (less than 15) as a priority
for opening.
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29.  No decisions have been made on whether tracks not included in the five-year track upgrade plan
wil  be permanently closed. This wil  be considered as part of the Regional Parks Management
Plan review starting in 2020.
Kauri dieback management in other regional parks
30. Staff have assessed and are implementing kauri dieback mitigation measures throughout other
regional parks with kauri. As shown in Table 3 upgrades or maintenance have been completed or
are underway on nine tracks in Tawharanui, Shakespear, Wenderholm, Glenfern and Awhitu
Regional Parks.
Table 3. Closed track upgrade progress for other regional parks
Regional Park
Track name
Upgrade status
Track
status
Tawharanui Regional Park   Tawharanui Ecology
Upgrade underway
Open
Trail
Shakespear Regional Park  Waterfall Gully Track
Upgrade underway
Open
(heritage trail)
Wenderholm Regional Park  Puhoi Track
Upgrade underway
Open
Wenderholm Regional Park  Perimeter Track
Maintenance underway
Open
Wenderholm Regional Park  Couldrey House Track
Maintenance underway  Open
Glenfern Regional Park
Access Road
Upgrade underway
Open
Awhitu Regional Park
Kauri Track
Upgrade to kauri safe
Open
standards completed
Awhitu Regional Park
Dam Loop
Upgrade to kauri safe
Open
standards completed
Awhitu Regional Park
Shady Gully Track
Upgrade to kauri safe
Open
standards completed
31.  In total, across all regional parks staff have carried out upgrades on 8 kilometres of track.
Because tracks are closed even if only one section of a longer track requires upgrades to be
kauri safe, the result of this work is that an additional 18 kilometres of open track now reaches
kauri safe standards.
32.  Further works are underway with 26 kilometres expected to be open and at kauri safe standards
by the end of the financial year – 30 June 2019.
Local parks update: Prioritisation of kauri dieback mitigation
33.  Staff are assessing and implementing kauri dieback mitigation measures in local parks. A more
detailed summary of the process being used to prioritise these upgrades is shown in Appendix C.
34.  The first step in prioritising local parks for kauri dieback mitigation is to understand the extent and
state of kauri on local parks. A desktop review identified 376 local parks with kauri.
35.  Parks have been categorised as either:
•  Category A – Parks with high or medium kauri ecosystem value and high or medium
recreational value (prioritise for temporary closure and track upgrades).
•  Category B – Parks with high or medium kauri ecosystem value but low recreational
value.
•  Category C – Parks with low kauri ecosystem value but high recreational value.
•  Category D - Parks with low kauri ecosystem value and low recreational value.
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36.   Staff are verifying this initial assessment through site visits, and data wil  be updated in the next
few weeks.
37.  Five local board areas have been categorised as high priority for kauri mitigation on local parks.
These areas have lots of local parks with high ecological and recreational value.
38.  Local board areas have been ranked medium or low priority for kauri mitigation if they have fewer
parks with high value kauri and high recreational use (more detail regarding this process is
shown in Appendix C).
39.  A summary of the prioritisation of all 21 local boards is shown in Table 4 below.
Table 4. Prioritisation of local board areas based on potential for kauri dieback mitigation
Local Board Area
Priority
Number of local parks with
Category A Parks
kauri/kauri ecosystems
Kaipātiki
High
36
12
Rodney
High
50
10
Upper Harbour
High
31
4
Waiheke
High
16
6
Waitākere Ranges
High
120
11
Franklin
Medium
27
2
Hibiscus and Bays
Medium
11
3
Ōrākei
Medium
9
2
Albert-Eden
Low
11
0
Henderson-Massey
Low
10
1
Howick
Low
3
1
Māngere-Ōtāhuhu
Low
2
0
Manurewa
Low
5
1
Maungakiekie-Tamaki
Low
4
0
Ōtara-Papatoetoe
Low
3
0
Papakura
Low
7
1
Puketāpapa
Low
14
0
Waitematā
Low
7
0
Whau
Low
10
0
Devonport-Takapuna
Low
0
0
Great Barrier Island
Low
0
0
40.  Tracks have been temporarily closed in 17 high priority local parks.
41.  As a result of further surveying to identify areas in need of protection, tracks in another 29 local
parks wil  be fully or partially closed over the next fortnight.
42.  This will provide interim protection until tracks have been upgraded to kauri safe standards.
43.  Fieldwork has been completed to inform track upgrade scopes of work in the five high priority
local board areas. Draft scoping documents and preliminary cost estimates for capital works are
expected by mid-June.  Stakeholder and local board workshops to discuss the options are
anticipated to be held in July and August 2019.
44.  Mana whenua have had input into the prioritisation and mitigation planning through three hui in
early 2019, and individually for specific local parks.
Tāmaki Makaurau - Auckland kauri dieback regional programme update
Surveil ance
45.  The Auckland region has a rolling surveil ance programme that is repeated every five years. In
the next financial year the following areas wil  be surveyed:
•  local parks from south of the Harbour Bridge to Franklin (excluding regional parks such
Hunua and Awhitu)
•  local parks in western Auckland
•  the gulf islands.
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46.  Scheduled surveil ance wil  show changes in the distribution of kauri dieback symptoms over
time. The lag time between trees becoming infected and showing symptoms is uncertain but
thought to be several years. Therefore, the extent of the disease is likely to be more widespread
than shown in previous surveys.
47.  An update on the results of surveil ance in 2018/2019 wil  be provided by October 2019.
Treatment and research
48.  Phosphite is being experimentally trialed to better understand its potential as a treatment for kauri
dieback disease in dif erent situations. Treatment protocols wil  be updated in response to new
information. Current trials include:
•  As a treatment for large stands of diseased kauri. A long-term field trial in the Piha
catchment is monitoring the progression of disease symptoms trees treated with
phosphite. In 2018/2019 the Council treated 7,019 trees.
•  As a treatment for individual trees and small stands.
•  As a barrier to prevent disease spread into healthy stands.
Hygiene stations
49.  11 high volume hygiene stations have been installed to support track openings and biosecurity
requirements, including one station at the Pier 2 Ferry terminal.
50.  Over 300 hygiene stations on council land wil  be replaced with stations that meet the standards
of the new National Pest Management Plan for kauri dieback over the next two years from 2019
to 2021.
51.  Additional specialist hygiene station designs are being tested for bikes and vehicle wash downs
at council depots and ferry terminals.
Communications and engagement
52.  There have been two communications focus periods in the last 12 months:
•  communications around the closures in May 2018
•  communications over the summer period from 1 December 2018 to 30 April 2019.
53.  Key messages through these periods have been:
•  building awareness of park and track closures
•  scrub, spray and stay
•  promotion of alternative park destinations
•  Kitekite track re-opening
•  Easter compliance blitz.
54.  During the May 2018 closure phase, publicity across the channels was driven by reaction to the
decision, with media widely covering both sides of the story. The resulting outcome was broad
coverage reaching an approximate 2 mil ion readers, listeners and viewers.
55.  The May marketing campaign included radio, print ads, social media (Facebook), digital display
banners, letterbox flyers and ads in response to searches – this achieved 9.7 million impressions
and 23,400 click throughs and reached a total of 490,100 people.
56.  The summer 2018/19 campaign included radio, press ads, OurAuckland, social (Facebook and
Instagram), digital display banners and ads in response to searches. Together this achieved 2.56
million impressions and reached 615,000 people.
57.  A ‘Keep Kauri Standing’ e-newsletter is dispatched monthly to around 1,000 Aucklanders who
have indicated interest in the Waitākere and Hunua Ranges tracks.
Engagement and Education 2018/19
58.  A series of free public science talks has been held at Arataki Visitor Centre in 2019, with invited
speakers from research institutes outlining their research projects into kauri dieback disease.
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Each session has seen a full venue, and has been live-streamed on social media, with an
average of close to 700 views per talk so far.
59.  More than 30 full, and part-time kauri dieback ambassadors have worked across the Auckland
region to educate and engage the public. This has included the Waitākere and Hunua Ranges,
northern regional parks, Waiheke Island, Great Barrier Island, and at wharves at Half Moon Bay,
Devonport, and downtown Auckland, to engage with visitors heading to the Hauraki Gulf islands.
60.  Staff have also attended many events over the past year, including the Eye on Nature schools’
event, the Kauri Karnival, Matariki events, Sculpture on the Gulf on Waiheke, mountain biking,
running, and orienteering events across the region. Nearly 20 schools have also been engaged.
Kauri dieback National Pest Management Plan update
61.  The Kauri Dieback National Programme is developing a National Pest Management Plan for
kauri dieback. Auckland Council has two members on the governance group that has overseen
the process.  Biosecurity New Zealand (Ministry for Primary Industries) have led extensive public
consultation on the plan – a summary of feedback is available on the kauri dieback website:
https:/ www.kauridieback.co.nz/consultation/
62.  The National Pest Management Plan proposal has been presented to Cabinet and is expected to
come into effect in September or October 2019.
63.  A new management agency is likely to be set up to lead implementation of the National Pest
Management Plan. The nature of this agency has still not been finalised.
64.  Auckland Council wil  be a key partner in the formation of a regional coordination group that wil
deliver the National Pest Management Plan priorities within the Auckland region.  It is not yet
clear what decision-making mandate the regional committee wil  have. However, there is a clearly
signaled shift towards a model of multi-party shared decision-making.
65.  The plan proposes that the Treaty partnership is front and center and is reflected at all levels.
National Pest Management Plan implications for Auckland Council’s land management
66.  Rules within the National Pest Management Plan will affect council’s autonomy in decisions as a
land manager.
67.  The proposal that has gone to Cabinet contains stricter track standard requirements than had
been signaled earlier in the plan development process. Al  public tracks through kauri forest will
have to meet kauri safe standards as soon as the plan is operative (i.e. late 2019), or else be
closed. Earlier drafts of the plan allowed three years for tracks to be upgraded to the standard.
68.  Most kauri forest tracks on regional parks are already either closed or upgraded, therefore wil  be
unaffected by the rule.
69.  Local park tracks with medium or high kauri ecosystems value are already recommended for
closure and upgrade and therefore are also unaffected (97 parks).
70.  Local park tracks that are most likely to be affected by the track standards rule are tracks in parks
with low kauri ecosystem value but high recreational value (Category C in Appendix C, 91 parks).
71.  It is also possible that some tracks in local parks with low kauri ecosystem value and low
recreational value (189 parks) may be affected, although this is not yet confirmed.
72.  Staff wil  provide further advice on the impact of the new standards on the council’s prioritisation
of closures and track upgrades once the National Pest Management Plan is confirmed.
Financial implications
73.  Auckland Council is forecasting an investment of $4.8 mil ion into kauri dieback management for
the 2018/2019 financial year to date.
74.  The vast majority of this funding comes from the natural environment targeted rate – which has
significantly increased the council’s budget for kauri dieback management activities.
75.  This includes $2.3 million capital expenditure on track upgrades and other infrastructure works,
including $1.84 mil ion on regional parks and $630,000 on local parks. Most areas of expenditure 8

are tracking to forecast, although local park infrastructure upgrades are behind in spend due to
time required to assess assets, set up new systems and facilitate local board decision-making.
76.  The council has also invested $2.5 mil ion of operational expenditure, including
•  surveillance and monitoring - $130,000
•  treatment and research - $241,000
•  compliance, engagement and behaviour change - $1,429,000
•  tracks upgrade regional parks opex - $616,000
•  tracks upgrade local parks opex - $73,000.
77.  The council wil  invest a further $5.15 million opex and $10.15 mil ion capex into kauri dieback
management in 2019/2020. The largest areas of investment will be track upgrades and
behaviour change initiatives, including enforcement of closures and public education.
Risks and mitigations
78.  Effective management of kauri dieback spread and impacts continues to be affected by a variety
of risks. Key risks are summarised in Table 5 below.
Table 5. Key risks to kauri dieback programme
Risk description
Risk type,
Mitigation
likelihood and
consequence
New National Pest Management  Likelihood: High
Staff wil  assess and close tracks to
Plan track standards may
ensure the council is compliant with the
increase cost of track upgrades
Consequence: High  new standard. Further prioritisation of
and require more tracks to stay
Risk type: Financial,  track upgrades may be required to
closed for longer.
Reputational
adjust the timing of upgrades, including
consideration of recreational value of
some tracks.
Unknown lag time between
Likelihood: High
Focus on spread prevention, based on
disease spread and observable
best available knowledge. Continue
symptoms, which limits our
Consequence: High  adaptive management approach and
understanding of disease
Risk type:
trial new management approaches in
distribution and how effective
Operations,
collaboration with research agencies.
various management options are.  Reputational,
Lag time means surveil ance wil   Environmental
continue to measure increased
spread, despite council’s activity.
Current approach inadequate to
Likelihood: High
Develop new compliance, educational
protect urban kauri where public
and infrastructure upgrade measures
land can be accessed from
Consequence:
specific to urban situations.
multiple points on private land.
Medium
Risk type:
Operations
Constrained contractor market for  Likelihood: High
Upskil  wider contractor pool using
track upgrades to kauri safe
Project 17 full facilities maintenance
standards
Consequence:
contractors. Ensure quality through
Medium
prescriptive engineering standards and
Risk type:
increased training and audit capacity.
Operations
Upskil  regional parks staff and
contractors to deliver less complex track
mitigations.
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Risk description
Risk type,
Mitigation
likelihood and
consequence
Risks to other recreation areas
Likelihood: High
Staff wil  engage in a regional planning
through the displacement of
process to identify recreational areas
visitors from closed kauri areas.
Consequence:
which are being most impacted and may
This may place pressure on
Medium
require additional investment in
parks infrastructure including
Risk type:
infrastructure or a higher level of
ongoing maintenance costs. In
Environmental,
maintenance.
addition, it may impact on visitor
experience.
Reputational
Next steps/implementation
79.  71 kilometres of track network is scheduled to be upgraded across regional parks in
2019/2020, including tracks in Waitākere Ranges, Hunua and Awhitu Regional Parks.
80.  The forward work programme for local park track upgrades wil  be confirmed in August 2019.
Tracks within 43 high priority Category A local parks will be scheduled for works across the
next two years.
81.  Further work is required to assess the implications of the forthcoming National Pest
Management Plan for track upgrade priorities and other budgeted spend. Staff will assess the
implications of the track standards rule for local parks, and a small number of regional park
tracks that might be affected (e.g. Hunua).
82.  This work wil  be completed by August 2019 to inform future local board decision-making. Staff
will seek approval from local boards for additional track closures and track upgrade priorities.
83.  Staff wil  also provide an update to the appropriate commit ee on implications of the National
Pest Management Plan at a regional level for council’s approach to kauri dieback management.
84.  Finally, the next annual update on kauri dieback management wil  be provided in June 2020.
Attachments
Appendix A: Feedback report on proposed track upgrades in Waitākere Ranges Regional Park
Appendix B: Track upgrade plan for Waitākere Ranges Regional Park
Appendix C: Local parks track upgrade prioritisation process
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