C26/01 - Mid Dome Wilding Project Management

The Mid Dome wilding conifer programme has been running for over 20 years with the Mid Dome Wilding Tree Charitable Trust (The Trust). During this time The Trust has employed a Project Manager to oversee the operational work. Due to recent changes with The trust taking more of a governance role, Environment Southland is now overseeing the contract and are looking for a competent company to undertake the Project Management and operational work within the Flagstaff and Mid Dome areas. The National Wilding Conifer Control Programme led by the Ministry of Primary Industries aims to prevent the spread of wilding pines and to progressively remove them from the land already invaded. 'The right tree in the right place: The New Zealand Wilding Conifer Management Strategy 2015-2030' (Strategy) provides the framework for the national programme. Mid Dome and Flagstaff are Management Units covered by the National Wilding Conifer Programme. This programme is funded through the National Wilding Conifer Control programme and contributions from The Trust. As this is locally and nationally funded there is currently no guaranteed funding going forward though indications for 2026/27 are looking promising and future funding is hoped to be clarified by early 2027. At present it is looking unlikely that we will be able to fully fund the 2023-2033 Strategy commissioned by The Trust and are going back to the basic ideas of The Trust's original strategy with priorities being to maintain the cleared areas, control original seed sources and prevent secondary spread. The Mid Dome operational wilding area consists of just under 30,000 hectares of wilding conifers. This is a mix of tenure of Crown land, conservation land and pastural land. The predominant species are Pinus Contorta (est 90%) with an unknown amount of mugo and an increasing amount of Douglas fir potentially coming from outside the programme area.