Balancing Biosecurity & Buy-in: Free The Tree's Leadership in the Waiheke Mothplant Programme

The Challenge: Upholding Island Biosecurity with Community Collaboration Under Pressure

Auckland Council's mandate to control invasive Mothplant on Waiheke Island, under the Biosecurity Act 1993 and Regional Pest Management Plan, presented a unique, ongoing challenge. This highly invasive species significantly threatened the island's ecological balance, necessitating a robust, legally sound, yet community-sensitive compliance programme.

The core challenges included:

• Operational Scale & Complexity: Annually inspecting circa 200 diverse private properties and responding to dozens of Mothplant-related "Requests For Service" (RFSs).

• Public-Facing Sensitivity: This inherently public-facing work required nuanced, often delicate communication with diverse landowners to achieve compliance, manage expectations, and handle potential disputes.

• Legal Obligations vs. Community Engagement: Navigating the fine line between education, fostering voluntary compliance, and, when essential, implementing formal Biosecurity Act enforcement measures.

• Resource Constraints: Delivering this high-profile programme effectively under very tight time and budgetary limits demanded exceptional operational efficiency.

• Need for Specialized Local Expertise: This required a highly trained, local team of Biosecurity Warrant Holders capable of performing duties with professionalism, empathy, and deep understanding of the Waiheke community.

Our Approach: Local Expertise, Innovative Systems, and Principled Engagement

Since 2021, Free The Tree has managed this critical programme by integrating deep local knowledge with systematic efficiency and a principled approach to community engagement:

• Expert Local Leadership & Specialized Team Development: As an Authorised Person under the Biosecurity Act, Richard personally led our dedicated field team of Biosecurity Warrant Holders and support staff. A cornerstone of our success was proactively identifying, selecting, and meticulously preparing team members for Auckland Council’s rigorous warranting process, achieving an impressive 100% first-round pass rate and building vital, sustainable local capacity for these crucial biosecurity functions.

• Innovative Data Systems for Enhanced Compliance & Council Support: We developed a bespoke database system, seamlessly integrated with Council’s mapping and property records. This innovation streamlined capturing and managing all relevant data – property inspections, RFS tracking, landowner communications, and compliance history. Crucially, this system provided Auckland Council's Biosecurity Advisor accurate, timely information to support informed decision-making, especially regarding potential enforcement.

• Strategic Communication & Proactive Engagement: Our primary strategy was clear, respectful communication with landowners, aiming to educate and encourage voluntary Mothplant control. While prepared to support Council in necessary enforcement, our focus was achieving compliance through understanding and cooperation, skilfully resolving complaints and disputes to find constructive solutions.

• Beyond Compliance – Assessing Broader Biodiversity: Our team used property visits not just for Mothplant compliance but also as valuable opportunities to assess biodiversity on private land, especially properties adjacent to nature reserves. This proactive ecological observation offered valuable insights for wider conservation planning, demonstrating our holistic commitment to Waiheke's environmental well-being.

• Meticulous & Efficient Programme Management: Effectively operating this fast-moving programme, particularly under tight budget and time constraints, required exceptional organisation. We ensured specifications were consistently exceeded, legal and follow-up communications were accurate and timely, and all operations ran smoothly, even while concurrently managing other significant public and private projects. Managing multiple Council contracts also allowed us to identify and implement cross-programme efficiencies in resource scheduling and logistics, maximizing value.

• Upholding Council’s Reputation Through Principled Action: Every interaction and decision was guided by dual aims: rigorously upholding the Biosecurity Act and Council’s responsibilities, while striving for individual and collective community buy-in for vital Mothplant control.

Key Outcomes & Impact: Effective Biosecurity, Strengthened Community Relations, and Proven Local Value

Free The Tree's ongoing management of Waiheke’s Mothplant Compliance Programme has delivered consistent, positive results for Auckland Council and the island community:

• Effective Island-Wide Mothplant Management: Successful annual inspection of circa 200 properties and diligent response to dozens of RFSs significantly contributes to Mothplant containment and reduction across Waiheke.

• Empowered Council Decision-Making: The custom-built database provides Auckland Council's Biosecurity team robust data and clear audit trails, enhancing their strategic compliance management.

• Sustainable Local Biosecurity Capacity: Establishing a skilled, local team of Warrant Holders ensures Waiheke has an enduring resource for these critical functions, offering Council greater responsiveness and a significantly reduced carbon footprint versus off-island personnel.

• Professional Handling of Sensitive Public Interactions: Our team demonstrated excellence managing complex landowner communications, resolving disputes effectively, and navigating legal compliance with fairness and professionalism.

• Enhanced Community Awareness & Cooperation: Through skilled, respectful engagement, we fostered greater community understanding of Mothplant's impact and the importance of collective action, increasing voluntary compliance.

• Exceptional Value & Efficiency: We consistently exceeded operational specifications and met all programme goals despite very tight budgetary and time pressures.

• Upholding Auckland Council’s Reputation: The programme was delivered with clear commitment to diligence, fairness, and transparency, reinforcing Council's standing as Waiheke’s responsible environmental steward.

• The Clear Advantage of Local Expertise: This ongoing programme powerfully testaments the unique benefits of engaging a committed local contractor. Our team's intimate knowledge of Waiheke, its properties, and people, with our ability to respond rapidly and build trust—even in a regulatory context—delivers service, community integration, and carbon efficiency invaluable for this public-facing, legally important undertaking.

• Showcasing Versatile Capability: This Mothplant Compliance Programme showcases Free The Tree's ability to successfully manage demanding regulatory responsibilities with the same dedication, professionalism, and community focus defining our ecological restoration work.