KVH presented at the recent New Zealand Biosecurity Institute NETS conference (a national biosecurity training seminar) focusing on the value of partnerships and collaboration, highlighted by our wild kiwifruit programme.

The kiwifruit industry, Bay of Plenty Regional Council (BOPRC) and landowners have worked in partnership to destroy wild kiwifruit in the Bay of Plenty for 20 years. Trial work to establish effective control methods began in 1998 and since then tens of thousands of wild vines have been destroyed, mostly in gullies and pine blocks in Te Puke and south of Tauranga. There have also been scattered infestations in the Gisborne, Waikato and Nelson/Tasman regions.

As part of the KVH presentation, technicians from DOC, Landcare Research, NIWA, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), biosecurity contractors and local government biosecurity officers learnt of the immense value of a co-funded partnership, which in this case has been used as an effective example of local government and industry collaboration prior to GIA (Government Industry Agreements) for biosecurity.

Last year contractors working in the Bay of Plenty destroyed more than 14,000 wild vines. Control is effective because the work is undertaken by professional contractors, often in terrain that landowners find difficult to access. Landowners fund 25% of the cost; regional council and the kiwifruit industry fund the remainder. As it turns out, most of the landowners are also kiwifruit growers so the contribution from industry is often over 60%. Regional councils in other parts of New Zealand have also provided funding assistance for surveillance and control work in their areas.

Collaboration and partnership have been key to the success of the programme. The kiwifruit industry greatly values this partnership with local government and landowners.

If you know the location of any unrecorded wild kiwifruit infestations, please contact KVH on 0800 665 825 or your local regional council authority.