News

Environment Southland’s top boss has given a blunt assessment on a wilding pine issue plaguing parts of the country. Southland has previously been described as reaching a “tipping point”, with trees spreading aggressively through high country, farmland and conservation areas. Environment Southland acting chief executive Rob Phillips said about $25 million extra was required to

The rise of a new villain and a lack of funding are two challenges facing a trust dedicated to removing wilding trees in Northern Southland. The Mid Dome Wilding Trees Charitable Trust hosted a hui in Lumsden on Wednesday to discuss the challenges facing the trust. Those attending included Southland District Mayor Rob Scott, district

Environment Southland staff lending a hand at a Mid Dome volunteer day. Funding for a trust undertaking wilding pine work in Southland has seen its funding reduce significantly of late. Photo: Environment Southland/Supplied Southland pest control group fears 18 years of work could be in jeopardy amid difficult conditions. Since 2006, Mid Dome Wilding Trees Charitable Trust

They’re considered an environmentalists’ nightmare. Some groups work tirelessly to remove invasive wilding trees from the high country, but others now have resource consent to plant them. The Mid Dome Wilding Trees Charitable Trust, which has spent thousands of hours clearing wilding pines from other sites, is dismayed that the Southland District Council has granted

The success of the work already undertaken at Mid Dome to control wilding conifers rests heavily on further investment from the Government to complete the existing work programme.  The Mid Dome Wilding Trees Charitable Trust has written to all Government ministers with responsibilities relating to wilding conifer control, requesting a substantial funding increase for Phase

Portable accommodation built from a repurposed 26,000 litre plastic water tank is the latest innovation in the fight against wilding pines in Southland’s vulnerable high country.  A ‘Turk’ – a self-contained shelter – was helicoptered into place on Mid Dome in early January, and will serve as on-site accomodation for contractors working in the remote

 The Mid Dome Wilding Trees Charitable Trust is seeing a change of guard as two new trustees have recently been appointed to vacant seats.  Environment Southland councillors have approved the appointment of Richard Bowman and Glenys Dickson as trustees on the Trust, which was set up to address the spread of Pinus contorta across some

 Jenny Campbell  A keen, enthusiastic and committed group of 28 people from across Southland, Otago, the North Island and even from around the world used a lot of energy to remove wilding pine seedlings from a large face at the top of Mid Dome in northern Southland on Saturday.  Environment Southland biosecurity officer and organiser