Ngāti Rehua is leading a project to eradicate pests from the Te Paparahi block at the north end of Aotea/Great Barrier, with the ultimate objective of seeing the return of kōkakō to the island.
The last kōkakō were removed in the early 1990s and transferred to Hauturu/Little Barrier.
The Department of Conservation is supporting the project through the DOC Community Fund. A feasibility study confirmed that the concept was achievable.
Planning work is currently underway to establish monitoring lines in the block and to assess the methodology for pest eradication.
