There are 20 large, landscape-scale Predator Free projects across New Zealand. They stretch from the Bay of Islands in the north to Auckland Island in the subantarctic south.
These projects remove predators across more than 1,000,000 hectares. This is about 18 times the size of Lake Taupō. They cover a mix of backcountry, rural and urban land.
Local communities lead these projects. Iwi, hapū, community organisations and individuals work together to find solutions that suit their local areas.
The projects are living experiments. They allow us to test new tools, methods and technology that can drive us towards a predator-free New Zealand.
Map of projects across New Zealand
Predator Free Pēwhairangi Whānui (Bay of Islands)
This project spans three peninsulas in the Bay of Islands. It includes four diverse projects working to remove predators.
The three peninsulas are Purerua-Mataroa, Russell/Kororāreka and Cape Brett/Rakaumangamanga.
Launched: 19 July 2021
Project lead: Northland Regional Council
Māori partners: Multiple groups
Collaborators: Ngāti Rēhia, Ngāti Torēhina, Ngāti Kuta, Patukeha, Russell Landcare Trust, Kiwi Coast, Manaaki Whenua, Department of Conservation and Northland Regional Council.
Predator Free Pēwhairangi Whānui website
Predator Free Whangārei
This project protects and restores thousands of hectares of native forest, coast and wetland in Northland. It helps threatened native plants and animals recover.
It is a collaborative project that builds on decades of community predator control.
Launched: 10 July 2020
Project lead: Northland Regional Council
Collaborators: Northland Regional Council, Whangārei District Council, Kiwi Coast, Department of Conservation and community conservation groups.
Predator Free Whangārei website
Pest Free Kawau (Kawau Island)
This project is a partnership between Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust, Auckland Council and DOC.
The project assists community conservation group efforts. It aims to eradicate wallabies and possums first, followed by rats and mustelids from Kawau Island.
Project lead: Auckland Council
Māori partners: Ngāti Manuhiri
Collaborators: The Pohutukawa Trust, Department of Conservation and others.
Predator Free Kawau Island website
Poipoia te Kākano (Kaipara)
This project is led by Environs Te Uri o Hau. It focuses on preserving the Kaipara Harbour’s ecological integrity.
The long-term plan is to remove possums, stoats, rats and pigs. The projects covers 105,000 hectares on five peninsulas in Kaipara Moana. The five peninsulas are Hukatere, Okahukura, Puketotara, Pouto (North Head) and Te Korowai o Tonga (South Head).
Launched: 2 August 2021
Project lead: Local iwi and hapū
Collaborators: The project was initiated by the Integrated Kaipara Harbour Management Group (IKHMG) in partnership with Ngā Maunga Whakahii, Te Uri o Hau, Te Roroa, Landcare, community groups, Auckland Council, Northland Regional Council and the Department of Conservation.
Te Korowai o Waiheke (Waiheke Island)
Te Korowai o Waiheke is a community-led charity. Its goal is to remove predators and make Waiheke the first predator-free urban island in the world.
Stoat removal has been taking place across the island. Trials are now testing whether rat removal across the whole island is feasible.
Launched: 16 September 2018
Project lead: Te Korowai o Waiheke Trust
Māori partners: Ngāti Paoa
Collaborators: Auckland Council, Foundation North, Department of Conservation, Hauraki Gulf Conservation Trust, Hauraki Gulf Islands Forest and Bird, QEII National Trust covenant landowners, Waiheke Rat Busters, Waiheke Resources Trust and the Waiheke Collective.
Tū Mai Taonga (Aotea/Great Barrier Island)
The Tū Mai Taonga project is building a local conservation workforce on the island. It tests new tools and methods to remove rats and feral cats from large areas of the island.
The island has a head start because it has no possums, mustelids or Norway rats. However, ship rats, kiore and feral cats are having a devastating impact on its unique fauna.
Launched: 1 June 2021
Project lead: Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea Trust
Māori partners: Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea
Collaborators: Aotea Conservation Park Advisory Committee, Aotea Great Barrier Environmental Trust, Aotea Great Barrier Island Local Board, Auckland Council, Department of Conservation, Glenfern and Kotuku Peninsula Trust, Kawa Marae, Motairehe Marae, Motu Kaikoura Trust, Okiwi Community Ecology Project, Windy Hill Sanctuary and Rosalie Bay Catchment Trust, landowners and residents around the motu.
Korehāhā Whakahau (Whakatāne)
This project, led by Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa, aims to remove possums from 4,700 hectares around Whākatane. It creates jobs and builds skills within the iwi.
The work takes place between Whakatāne River, Ōhope beach and Ōhiwa harbour. It includes private, public and Ngāti Awa land.
Launched: 27 June 2020
Project lead: Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa
Collaborators: Provincial Growth Fund, Department of Conservation, Ngāti Awa Group Holdings.
Taranaki Taku Tūranga: Towards Predator-Free Taranaki
This is a large project that aims to restore Taranaki’s unique plants and animals. It also supports local communities and livelihoods by removing introduced predators.
The project has three main parts. These include removing possums in Kaitake, targeting mustelids across rural areas and controlling rats and possums in urban areas.
Launched: 18 May 2018
Project lead: Taranaki Regional Council
Māori partners: Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Ruanui, Taranaki, Te Ātiawa, Ngaa Rauru, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Tama.
Collaborators: Wild for Taranaki, Taranaki Mounga Project, New Plymouth District Council, Stratford District Council, South Taranaki District Council, Federated Farmers, Department of Conservation, Manaaki Whenua/ Landcare Research, Zero Invasive Predators.
Predator-Free Taranaki website
Predator Free Hawke’s Bay
This project launched in July 2018. The first phase aims to remove possums from the Māhia Peninsula.
It also tests new ways to control rats in fragmented bush areas. This will help to protect biodiversity and conservation benefits.
Launched: 2 July 2018
Project lead: Hawke’s Bay Regional Council
Māori partners: Ngāti Kahungungu iwi, Rongomaiwahine iwi, Maungaharuru Tangitū Trust, Ngāti Pāhuwhera Development Trust, Te Kōpere o te iwi o Hineuru Trust, Ngāti Hineuru, Ngāti Pārau Hapū Trust, Waiohiki and Wharerangi Marae.
Collaborators: Department of Conservation, Manaaki Whenua/Landcare Research, Biological Heritage National Science Challenge, Aotearoa Foundation, Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay, Whangawehi Catchment Management Group.
Predator Free Hawke's Bay website
Predator Free Wellington
This project aims to make Wellington the first predator‑free capital city. It started on the Miramar peninsula and is now expanding into neighbouring suburbs.
Over the next ten years, the project will expand into the CBD and surrounding areas. It will move north to the boundary with Porirua.
Launched: 8 August 2018
Project lead: Predator Free Wellington Ltd
Māori partners: Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Taranaki Whanui
Collaborators: Wellington Airport, Zealandia, Papa Taiao, Victoria University, Manaaki Whenua, Department of Conservation, 32 backyard trapping groups active across 44 suburbs and 32 schools participating in the pilot schools programme.
Predator Free Wellington website
Capital Kiwi (Wellington)
This project is a partnership between the local community, iwi and landowners. Its goal is to bring back a wild kiwi population in Wellington.
The project is supported by foundation funding from Predator Free 2050.
Launched: 1 August 2018
Project lead: Capital Kiwi Trust
Māori partners: Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Taranaki Whanui
Collaborators: Wellington Community Trust, Kiwis for Kiwi, Department of Conservation.
Pest Free Onetahua (Farewell Spit)
This project aims to protect Onetahua/Farewell Spit, one of our most special places.
The project works in partnership with Manawhenua ki Mohua. It aims to remove possums, stoats, feral pigs, deer and hares from reserve. It also keeps pests under control in the surrounding 12,000 hectares.
Project lead: Onetahua Restoration – partnership between Tasman Environmental Trust and HealthPost Nature Trust
Māori partners: Manawhenua Ki Mohua
Collaborators: Department of Conservation, Lonestar Farms, local businesses and community volunteers.
Predator Free Te Kinga (Lake Brunner)
Mount Te Kinga is an island in a sea of lakes and farmland. This project strengthens the mountain's natural barriers to stop pests returning. It uses a strong trap network to do so.
The goal of the project is to remove possums, stoats, rats, feral cats, goats, and pigs. This will support the recovery of native ecosystems on the maunga.
Launched: 29 May 2020
Project lead: Ara o Te Kinga Community Trust
Māori partners: Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae
Collaborators: West Coast Regional Council, Department of Conservation, OSPRI, Tai Poutini Predator Free Collective, Zero Invasive Predators, Lake Brunner Community Catchment Care Group, Tai Poutini Polytechnic, local farmers and community groups.
Predator Free Te Kinga website
Pest Free Banks Peninsula
This project brings together 14 organisations. They aim to make the 110,000 hectare peninsula predator-free.
The project supports species like the threatened jewelled gecko. It also helps the continued recovery of populations of hōiho/yellow-eyed penguins, kororā/little blue penguins, tītī/sooty shearwater and reintroduced tūi.
Launched: 9 August 2020
Project lead: Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust
Māori partners: Ngāi Tahu rūnanga (Ōnuku Rūnanga, Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke (Rāpaki) Rūnanga, Te Taumutu Rūnanga, Wairewa Rūnanga, Te Rūnanga o Koukourarata)
Collaborators: Rod Donald Banks Peninsula Trust, Department of Conservation, Christchurch City Council, Selwyn District Council, Summit Road Society, Living Springs and the Cacophony Project
Predator Free South Westland
This $45 million project aims to remove possums, rats and stoats. It covers a 100,000 hectare area between the Whataroa and Waiau (Waiho) Rivers. The work is planned for five years.
The area is home to New Zealand’s rarest kiwi, the rowi. It also contains other rare and threatened species, including kōtuku (white heron), kea and the recently rediscovered Ōkārito gecko.
Launched: 11 March 2021
Project lead: Predator Free South Westland Ltd
Māori partners: Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio
Collaborators: The people of South Westland, Jobs for Nature, Department of Conservation, OSPRI and the NEXT Foundation.
Predator Free Dunedin
This project brings together 20 conservation groups and organisations. It builds on over ten years of community restoration work and predator control investments by OSPRI.
The work is split across three projects. These are City Sanctuary (Dunedin City Council), the Halo Project (Landscape Connections Trust), and Predator Free Peninsula (Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group).
Launched: 3 October 2018
Project lead: Predator Free Dunedin Charitable Trust
Māori partners: Te Rūnanga ō Otakou, Kati Huirapa ki Puketeraki
Collaborators: Dunedin City Council, Otago Regional Council, Department of Conservation, OSPRI, Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group, Landscape Connections Trust, Manaaki Whenua and Otago Natural History Trust
Te Manahuna Aoraki (Aoraki/Mt Cook)
This is a 310,000 hectare project in the McKenzie Basin. It sits between Lake Pukaki and Lake Takapō (Tekapo).
The area is home to many threated native species, including kea, tuke/rock wren, ngutu parore/wrybill, Mackenzie skink, robust grasshopper, and kaki/black stilt.
The project aims to remove many pest species, including possums, stoats, ferrets, cats, rabbits, hares, hedgehogs, weasels and Norway rats.
Launched: 1 May 2018
Project lead: Simone Smits, Zero Invasive Predators
Māori partners: Ngāi Tahu
Collaborators: LINZ, Department of Conservation, NZ Defence Force, ECan
Predator Free Chathams
The Chatham Islands are unique, fertile islands surrounded by productive seas, with wildlife found nowhere else in the world.
Following consultation with landowners and the local community on main Chatham (Rēkohu/Wharekauri), the north-east sector of the island has been chosen as the first step towards eradicating possums, feral cats and rats from the entire island.
Launched: 1 March 2020
Project lead: Chatham Islands Landscape Restoration Group
Māori and Moriori partners: Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri Iwi Trust and Hokotehi Moriori Trust
Collaborators: Chatham Islands Regional Council, Department of Conservation and Chatham Island Enterprise Trust.
Chatham Island Landscape Restoration Trust website
Predator Free Rakiura (Stewart Island/Rakiura)
Predator Free Rakiura aims to permanently remove rats, possums, feral cats and hedgehogs from the island. This will improve habitats for native wildlife and enable many species to return and recover.
It is the largest, most complex predator eradication project ever attempted on an inhabited island. It will provide critical knowledge and momentum for other eradication projects as New Zealand works towards becoming predator free by 2050.
Predator Free Maukahuka (Auckland Island)
Auckland Island is a nature reserve and World Heritage Site that is home to 500+ native plants and animals, including over 100 found nowhere else in the world.
However introduced pests – feral pigs, feral cats, and mice – have inflicted severe harm. 32 bird species are no longer found on the island while plants and forests have been devastated and stunted.
The Maukahuka project aims to eradicate these three types of pests from the island.