Waiheke Island is regarded by many as the gem of Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf. Soon it could become a home for New Zealand’s taonga species, the kiwi.
A permit application submitted by Save the Kiwi, Ngāti Paoa, and Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki to introduce a new population of kiwi onto Auckland’s Waiheke Island, also known as Te Motu-ārai-roa, is currently being reviewed by the Department of Conservation.
Save the Kiwi CEO Michelle Impey says the prospect of kiwi being released onto Waiheke is exciting.
“Kiwi have a unique ability to unite people, regardless of their age, stage, or walk of life,” she says. “The proposal to release kiwi onto Waiheke has received almost universal support from locals and supports our mission as an organisation to ‘take kiwi from endangered to everywhere’. It is hard to care about something that is never seen, heard or experienced, so getting kiwi into people’s backyards (literally) is an exciting prospect.
“It’s not a done deal, but we’re hopeful that the permit will be approved.”
Ngāti Pāoa Chair Herearoha Skipper says the kiwi is an important taonga species for Māori.
“Kiwi is a descendant of Te Aitanga-a-Tāne and the returning of the kiwi contributes to the overarching strategic environmental plan that Ngāti Pāoa has to restore the biodiversity on the whenua as well as in the moana,” she says. “Both are inextricably linked; we cannot do one without the other.
“We acknowledge Te Korowai o Waiheke and their efforts to eradicate predators from the island and therefore provides this opportunity to restore the Waiheke habitat for kiwi, who can now join their whanaunga pūkeko, weka, and mātuku, to name a few.”
Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki Chair Billy Brown says we all have an inherent duty of kaitiakitanga for all taonga species and all flora and fauna, including kiwi.
“There is still plenty of mahi to do around advocacy, education, predator control and ongoing feasibility on Te Motu-ārai-roa,” he says. “However, identifying suitable and viable habitats for their potential release is a crucial step. If the permit application is approved, this will be an inter-generational project that allows our tamariki and mokopuna to live with and enjoy these beautiful manu for many years to come.
“At the heart of this kaupapa is kotahitanga, where we enable this kiwi population to thrive while the kiwi reciprocates by offering us all a chance to work together towards a meaningful outcome.”
If the permit is approved, remote Te Matuku Peninsula has been identified as the release site. Located at least 40 minutes’ drive from Oneroa, the peninsula is one of the most isolated corners of the island. All landowners are committed to maintaining the work that has been undertaken to restore this native forest and get rid of predators.
“Te Matuku Peninsula is very remote and cannot be publicly accessed, which means it’s the ideal release site for kiwi to get used to their new home,” says Michelle. “Land surrounding the peninsula – and all over the island – is also extensively predator managed, so as kiwi start to naturally migrate from the release site, there’s a really good chance they will establish an island-wide population one day.”
Intensive predator control, both on Te Matuku Peninsula and across the wider island, is instrumental in the vision of releasing kiwi onto Waiheke. Te Korowai o Waiheke is on a mission to turn Waiheke into the world’s first predator-free urban island. Since 2019, they have been working to eradicate stoats from the island. Now, only a small number of stoats remain.
Stoats are the main reason why 95% of kiwi that hatch in areas where there is no predator control die before they reach breeding age, so the low number of stoats that remain has made the introduction of kiwi to the island possible.
“When we first started this work, we wanted to help protect the unique wildlife that already lives on the island, and create a healthy and thriving natural environment here,” says Te Korowai o Waiheke Director Jenny Holmes. “The possibility of kiwi being released onto the island just cements why we’re doing this and the future we hope to see on Waiheke.”
While the proposal to release kiwi into areas where people live is new for Tāmaki Makaurau, it’s not the first-time kiwi have been introduced into urban areas.
“Over the last few years, Taranaki Whānui and The Capital Kiwi Project have released kiwi into the western hills of Wellington,” says Michelle. “While the release site is remote, kiwi are now travelling further afield and have been spotted in more built-up areas, including on CCTV in someone’s backyard in Brooklyn! It’s incredible that a species that has been largely invisible to New Zealanders is now coming out of the dark and living alongside us. Most people haven’t even seen a kiwi in the zoo before. In the future, thanks to the incredible work by so many groups and individuals, it’s entirely possible that everyday Kiwis could regularly see their namesake in their own backyards.”
There are many other areas around New Zealand where kiwi comfortably live alongside humans.
“Whangārei Heads is a prime example of how communities can unite to protect kiwi that live near them. A lot of kiwi live near homes in and around Whakatāne too. Again, these communities recognise the significance of having a taonga species near them, and they do what they can to keep them safe.”
Michelle admits a small minority of dog owners are worried what kiwi being released onto Waiheke will mean for them and their dogs.
“We get it,” she says. “Dogs are really important parts of many New Zealanders’ lives. Many conservationists also own dogs. We hope dog owners on the island understand this isn’t an us-versus-them thing, and that we don’t have to choose between kiwi and dogs. Kiwi populations can thrive, and dogs and their owners can enjoy plenty of freedom when we work alongside each other for the benefit of both.”
All native species are protected under the Dog Control Act 1996. Many protected species already live on Waiheke, including tūturiwhatu/dotterels, kororā/little blue penguins, pāteke/brown teal ducks and weka. Under the Act, dog owners are required to keep their dogs under control. If their dog injures or kills a native species, they could be fined, and their dog could be put down.
“Kiwi potentially being released onto Waiheke won’t change anything for responsible dog owners who already keep their dogs under control. All we ask is for dog owners to abide by what legislation already exists.”