Invercargill City Council is working in a new partnership with the local community in Ōtātara to protect native wildlife and help keep pests under control.
Council has signed an agreement with Ōtātara Landcare Group to formalise the long-running relationship with local volunteers, enabling community-driven pest control in the suburb’s parks and reserves.
The group uses traps and appropriate pesticides to target possums, mustelids and rodents, which threaten native birds and biodiversity.
Invercargill City Council Manager Parks and Recreation Caroline Rain said the partnership showed a shared commitment to environmental stewardship between Council and the Ōtātara community.
“The native bush and wildlife in Ōtātara is a source of pride for residents in the suburb and Invercargill,” she said.
“With Council’s assistance, the local community in the form of Ōtātara Landcare Group is stepping up the work to protect and enhance the natural environment that makes this area so special.”
Introduced pests are a major threat to native ecosystems, such as Ōtātara’s forests, dunes and wetlands. Pest species predate native animals and their young, destroy indigenous plants and seeds, and ultimately alter the composition of the landscape, depriving native species of food and habitat.
A signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was handed over to Ōtātara Landcare Group representatives on Friday, covering Ōtātara Scenic Reserve, Bowman’s Bush and numerous smaller reserves around Ōtātara.
The agreement formalises Council’s relationship with Ōtātara Landcare Group and clearly sets out the roles and responsibilities that will allow volunteers to continue targeting harmful pests in their local parks and reserves.
Rain said Council acknowledged the importance of community involvement in conservation.
“The formalised partnership between Council and Ōtātara Landcare Group will help people get involved and take ownership of pest control in their local area,” she said.
“We look forward to seeing more of the great things that come from increased vigilance against pests, whether it’s kākā visiting from Stewart Island, flocks of kererū flying overhead, or simply the beauty of our native forest when it is protected and flourishing.”
Along with regular reports to Council, the group will aim to have pest control efforts across Ōtātara documented using trap.nz by September 2025.
More information about Ōtātara Landcare Group, including how to get involved, can be found on their website.
