South Head Dune Forest Protection
An ecological case for protecting critically endangered dune forest
Client:
Private Landowner
Location:
South Head Road, South Head
Services:
Ecological Assessment / Management Planning / Consenting Support
Project Overview
This South Head property supports remnant and regenerating tōtara, kānuka and broadleaved dune forest, a critically endangered Auckland ecosystem. The bush forms part of a wider network of dune forest and threatened wetlands near the Kaipara Harbour.
Scrub mapped and assessed the forest and prepared a Significant Native Bush Management Plan supporting an application for permanent protection in exchange for one new transferable title.
Project Scale
5 years
IN THE WEED CONTROL PROGRAMME
1
TRANSFERABLE TITLE SOUGHT
Our role
Scrub provided ecological evidence for the application and a staged plan for managing the bush over time.
· Vegetation and bird surveys
· Ecosystem mapping using drone and historical aerial imagery
· Significance assessment against Auckland Unitary Plan criteria
· Weed control specifications and a five-year programme
· Pest animal control design, including station and trap layouts
· Advice on legal and physical protection
Looking beyond mapped areas
The largest bush block was not mapped as a Significant Ecological Area. Scrub’s assessment identified critically endangered dune forest, a regionally declining fern and connections to nearby threatened wetlands. The area met three of the five significance criteria in the Auckland Unitary Plan. Mapped boundaries were also revised to reflect vegetation on the ground.
Planning ongoing care
The management plan sets out staged weed and pest animal control, with record sheets to track progress. It gives the landowners a practical framework for initial restoration work and ongoing care as part of running the farm.
