Funding offered to help remove wilding pines at the Half Mile reserve near Alexandra will not be available after July 1, according to the Central Otago Wilding Conifer Control Group(CWG).

The group have been working with the Central Otago District Council to help manage the invasive species on council land.

In October last year, however, residents living near the Half Mile were upset to discover trees they valued for shelter and recreation were to be immediately cleared. Work was halted by council to allow a landscape plan to be drawn up to enhance the area post-felling and for more discussion.

CWG executive member Phil Murray said for several years the group had been encouraging the Central Otago District Council to deal with conifers on their reserve land, where they were a source of seed- spread onto adjoining land.

The council had agreed that the work was important and wanted to “take a lead as responsible landowners” according to a media statement issued at the time.

In addition to funds offered by CWG, the council had also budgeted through its own funds for an ongoing programme to clear wilding pines.

The Half Mile and Manorburn reserves were both identified by CWG as seed-source areas and in 2019, Phil says, council agreed to have some pines removed from the Lower Manorburn reserve.

“Follow up of that work and a programme of part logging and part felling to waste trees on the Half Mile reserve was planned for this financial year.

We agreed to contribute $50,000 from National Wilding Conifer Control Programme funds that are administered through the Ministry for Primary Industry and Otago Regional Council.”

Last month 37 residents supported the presentation of a 10-page report to the Vincent Community Board arguing the trees had not been proven to be a widely-spreading seed-source, provided habitat for birds and lizards and should remain.

The Board elected to defer the felling further, amid strong argument presented at the meeting by environmentalist Sir Grahame Sydney, Otago Regional Council, Department of Conservation representatives and others.

Phil Murray said this week that his group were aware discussions were ongoing between the parties. “It seems unlikely that matters can be resolved in time for an agreed programme of work to be carried out this financial year. The unspent funds allocated to council reserve land cannot be carried

over to next year.”

A view from the council reserve at the Half Mile looking south-east with Jolendale Park at left. Image Jill Herron

He said follow up work from previous tree clearing on the Lower Manorburn reserve could, however, continue.

“In the national budget 2020 Government allocated $100m to support wilding conifer control over the entire country to be spent over a 4-year period.

Spending of those funds has been front-loaded so that available funding is winding down. Consequently, funds available for next year is significantly

less than this year.”

He said the contribution that CWG can make to assist the council in meeting their obligations in wilding control on council land will be less next year than this year.

“CWG understand the benefits that conifers provide to communities in terms of amenity and other benefits. However, it is important that people understand the serious adverse effects that result from the uncontrolled spread of conifers over our landscape and how their plantings can contribute

to this.”

The group say the Half Mile and Lower Manorburn areas were both seed take-off sites, adjacent to land that was vulnerable to invasion – something the residents group refuted.

CWG did appreciate that people needed time to adjust to changes where wilding pines were being dealt with, Phil said.

“We also accept that it takes time for communities to understand the need for transitioning their amenity and shelter plantings to non-spreading species and that they need reassurance that financial commitment will be made to providing equal amenity following pine removal.

However, this process has to be balanced against the reality that funding support may be declining in the future. We therefore encourage all parties to make the most of funding opportunities while they exist.”

The CODC contribution to the Half Mile and Lower Manorburn reserves’ wilding removal is in the vicinity of $25,000, according to a council statement. Both projects were reliant on the additional funding from CWG.

The CODC had recommended all the Half Mile trees be felled and landscaping based on a “natural Central Otago” theme be implemented. As this work had not been budgeted for, around $138,000 could be used for this from the Alexandra Reserves Contribution.

The issue is expected to be reviewed by the Vincent Community Board in the coming months, although Chairman Martin McPherson predicted that consultation information was not likely to be available until its June meeting “at the earliest”.