The man who entered closed tracks in the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park in 2019 was today convicted of three offences and fined $5700.
Mayor Goff said that, “Flouting rules in place to stop the spread of kauri dieback presents unacceptable risks to the survival of kauri and has consequences … It only takes one selfish or reckless act of ignoring the closure of the area to cause significant and potentially irreversible damage.”
Local iwi, Te Kawerau a Maki, stated: “Rāhui is one of the strongest forms of environmental management used by tangata whenua …. When people enter a tapu space for selfish intent and without regard to the tapu and to the wellbeing of the forest, they may not know it, but they are harming the wellbeing of the forest.”
This is the first prosecution related to the protection of kauri taken by the council under the Public Safety and Nuisance Bylaw. Another case is still before the courts awaiting sentencing.
Image: Upper Kauri Track, Waitakere Ranges – Auckland Council