Kaingaroa Tipu has revealed details of a $2 million partnership agreement with Hawke’s Bay-based Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust (FLRT). The agreement is to support long-term ecological restoration and protection across 11,359ha of indigenous forest in inland Hawke’s Bay, mid-way between Taupō and Napier.
The partnership is based on an initial 10-year commitment that will give the time needed to prove significant improvements in forest health and species recovery. There will be a formal progress review after five years, with the possibility of extending the collaboration further.
A comprehensive 10-year ecological management plan (2026-2036) unites the proven conservation expertise of the FLRT with the extensive operational resources of Kaingaroa Tipu. Together, the organisations will manage ecological and environmental restoration work on the Trust’s Pohokura property north of the Napier- Taupō Highway, ensuring the preservation of one of the region’s most significant natural assets.
Pohokura is a site of exceptional ecological value, featuring an uninterrupted sequence of indigenous vegetation progressing from lowland to subalpine bioclimatic zones. It serves as an important ecological corridor within the mountain ranges of the central North Island and provides critical habitat for many threatened and at-risk species of plants and animals.
The partners will implement an ambitious work programme designed to enhance the site’s status as an area of High Conservation Value. Priorities include:
Intensive Pest Management: Expanding the existing predator control network to cover nearly 90% of the property. This includes the installation and maintenance of over 500 DOC 250 traps and additional Sentinel possum traps to protect vulnerable fauna such as the North Island brown kiwi (eastern form), whio (blue duck), and kākāriki.
Threatened Species Recovery: Continuation of the highly successful kiwi restoration project, which has already seen over 300 birds released at Pohokura. The plan also focuses on the recovery of the nationally threatened Pittosporum turneri (Turner’s kohuhu), in conjunction with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, with new deer exclusion fencing and propagation programmes aimed at bolstering population numbers.
Ecosystem Protection: Active control of invasive pest plants, including wilding conifers and gorse, to protect critically endangered frost flat ecosystems - an uncommon habitat type that requires rigorous protection to survive.
Research and Monitoring: Ongoing monitoring of indigenous biodiversity, including surveys for long-tailed and short-tailed bats, terrestrial invertebrates and freshwater fish populations, ensuring that management decisions are guided by the best available science.
This strategic alliance is a cornerstone of Kaingaroa Tipu’s broader sustainability strategy. As the manager of approximately 200,000 hectares of plantation in the central North Island, the forestry management company is committed to maintaining Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. This requires that natural areas within forestry management units be managed for conservation purposes to reflect the diversity of local habitats.
“Pohokura represents a significant opportunity to enhance our ecological footprint,” said Colin Maunder, Kaingaroa Tipu’s General Manager of Sustainability. “By partnering with the Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust, we are not only meeting our FSC requirements but actively contributing to the restoration of this country’s indigenous biodiversity on a landscape scale.”
FLRT has been at the forefront of private conservation in New Zealand since 2006. With a proven track record in restoration initiatives across 23,000 hectares, the Trust’s deep understanding of the Pohokura landscape, gained through decades of on-the-ground management, will ensure the partnership delivers tangible, long-term results.
“We are delighted and very grateful to welcome Kaingaroa Tipu as our partner in this vital work,” said FLRT Chairman Simon Hall. “Our goal has always been to achieve the maximum amount of ecological restoration possible in the most cost-effective way. This partnership provides the stability and resources needed to scale up our efforts, ensuring that the work we started nearly two decades ago will continue to have an impact for generations to come.”
Mr Maunder described the partnership as a promise to the future of New Zealand’s natural heritage.
“By combining corporate responsibility with dedicated conservation action, the Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust and Kaingaroa Tipu are setting a new standard for collaborative environmental stewardship in Aotearoa.”
