$79 million boost for wilding pine control

Canterbury Regional Council is welcoming a significant funding boost for efforts to tackle wilding pines across the region.

The Government has announced an additional $79 million over three years for the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme, bringing total national funding to $109 million over that period. The investment will support ongoing work to control the spread of invasive wilding pines, including in priority areas such as the Mackenzie Basin.

Council Chair Dr Deon Swiggs says the funding is positive news for the region.

“This matters for us in Canterbury. We have actively been involved in wilding pine control since 2003, and since 2016 have been part of the national programme, working alongside landowners, mana whenua, community groups, contractors and central government.”

Wilding pines remain a major biosecurity threat. Their seeds can travel long distances on the wind, in some cases up to 40km, allowing them to spread quickly across high country landscapes. If left unmanaged, they can displace native tussocklands and alpine ecosystems, reduce water availability, impact productive farmland, increase wildfire risk and alter the character of open landscapes Canterbury is known for.

The Mackenzie Basin is one of the national priority areas identified for investment, reflecting both the scale of existing infestations and the risk of further spread.

Focus on long-term control

Sustained control is essential, as wilding pine seeds can remain viable in the soil for at least five to six years, while some species begin producing cones in as little as three years. This makes ongoing follow-up work critical to protecting earlier gains.

“After some strong advocacy from many corners, this funding boost is welcome. The key now is practical delivery on the ground, protecting the gains already made, and stopping new spread before it becomes much more expensive,” Dr Swiggs says.

As a Council, we will continue working with partners across the region to deliver a coordinated response and protect Canterbury’s landscapes, biodiversity and productive land.

More information will be shared as further detail becomes available.

Find out more about the wilding pine programme.