Pest problems: The view of Nga Whenua Rahui

Abstract

Nga Whenua Rahui began in the early 1980s, when Maori owners of commercially unproductive lands in Waikare (Northland) were being pressured into felling their native forests or selling property in order to meet their management costs, such as rates, fencing, and control of weeds and pests. The original concept recommended by the then Director of Maori Affairs, Tom Parore, was that a “rental” be paid by the Crown to Maori land owners as an incentive to keep their last remnants of indigenous forest alive and available for public enjoyment, and to cover the associated management costs.