Project Director’s Report
Project De-Vine Trust – AGM October 2018

The Trust has had another busy year with a reasonable success with grants, i.e. we received quite a lot less
than we applied for, and obtained a wider range of contracts. Our contracted work is all part of our mission
to “Clear pest plants out of Golden Bay and around Abel Tasman and Kahurangi National Parks”. With the
government and other agencies all contributing to this work, it encourages the many landowners to be more
active.
The following grants were finished off in the 2018 year:
 Lotteries grant to control pest vines on a wide range of properties.
 TDC Special Rates Grant to control pest vines in Ligar Bay.
 DOC Dirty Dozen grant to control pest vines on 19 properties in the Hamama area – MU-G1.
 QEII Grant to control Wilding pines in the area of the Takaka Hill Walkway.
 Internet NZ grant to set up a database that the team fill in each day in the field, which is stored by
our central computer.
 Horner grant to supply Glyphosate Gel bottles and refills to landowners as part of our “Swap a
bottle” scheme.

We have had 6 grants approved in this last financial year:
 Grants from Lotteries ($90k) and Tasman Environmental Trust ($60k + $7k for the assessment
work) over three years to carry out a major pest plant control programme in the Lower Takaka
Valley floor. It involves the main sites in that area of two invasive plants, woolly nightshade and
climbing asparagus as well as working to stop the spread of these, Italian jasmine and the pest vines
banana passion vine and old man’s beard across the valley, where they are already threatening the
boundary of Kahurangi National Park. In this first year we are offering landowners 45 hours of work
per property for free and asking for contributions to enable us to carry out more work after the 45
hours. Most of the larger properties are contributing extra. This work started in the 2018/19 financial
year.
 Also in its first year, a Grant from DOC Community Fund of $80k over two years to carry out
control work in Ligar Bay to Wainui Hill. This will complete one of our primary goals of carrying
out three years of pest vine control work on all properties, except for a couple of very large ones we
are still chipping away at, along the eastern escarpment of Golden Bay from Rameka Creek to
Wainui.
 From TDC, we received an additional $10k towards operating costs in August 2017 on top of an
annual grant of $7500 per year for the last three years.
 We have been approved in the TDC Long term plan for a grant of $11,250 per year, with three yearly
reviews, towards operating costs.
 Janszoon have continued with their support of the Lotteries grant, by helping with mapping costs and
offering in-kind mapping training in 2018/9 year.
 Golden Bay Community Trust, in their first year of giving out grants, gave us $7k to assess
properties in MU-C1 for pest plants, from the Takaka River to the “Lookout” (just before Onekaka).
This assessment data will be used for applying to the DOCCF fund in this financial year.
This brings our grants received to date total to $1,333,000+
New projects for this current year for which we have received, have pending, or are applying for
grants include:
 Rata Foundation approved for $35k. For follow up on about 40+ properties for pest plant control
work in Pohara to Matenga Rd, Ligar Bay.
 We are looking for funders and have a local sponsor to cover the costs of clearing Motupipi Spit of
exotic trees and pest plants. This is in conjunction with DOC who will assist with a replanting
programme. It will enhance the estuary nearby.
 Rural Service Centre, pending, to maintain control of BPV and OMB in MU-A & B
 The DOC Community Fund to control pest plants on properties in MU-C1, from the Takaka River to
the “Lookout” (just before Onekaka).
 Rata Foundation for follow up control work of pest vines & other plants in the MU-D1, D2 & D5.
 Others to boost our cover of operating costs.
The Trust now has a mix of one-, two- and three-year approved grants, which gives us a greater certainty of
being able to retain staff with steady work through the quieter periods of the contracted work – usually July
to September.
Contracted work:
This has been steady, but less than the previous year, when we had an extra grant of $26k, on top its annual
grant of $30k. from LINZ, to clear the Waingaro River of pest vines. This fitted very well with the Dirty
Dozen Grant that covered properties nearby shortly after.
Value of our contracted work for 2017 was $110k for our larger ones.
Value of our contracted work for 2018 was $86k for our larger ones and approx. $30k for our smaller ones.
Total $126k. These figures do not include the landowner contributions, which are becoming more
significant.
2019 sees more contracted work including our existing clients and the Motupipi River willow removal and
riparian restoration project. Other ones, including the assessment of the pest vines and Douglas fir for the
area from Riwaka to the Abel Tasman NP boundary, are pending contract approval.
Presentations about our work have been given to or are planned for:
 The NZ Institute of Biosecurity at their annual conference, held in Nelson.
 TDC Biodiversity Forum
 TDC Community Board
 DOC, local iwi and Nelson Marlborough Conservation Board – date to be arranged.
Behind the scenes:
The Trust submitted twice on the Regional Pest Management Plan about the status of the many pest plants
we are concerned about. The new plan is due for release later this year.
The Trust maintains a high level of reporting to funders and maintains its approved contractor status with
TDC, DOC, NZTA, LINZ and QEII.
Total number of vines killed manually to 30/09/2018 is 373,000, including 325,000 banana passion
vines and 40,500 old man’s beard.
A big thank you to our sponsors:
 Cut’n’Paste who give us a generous discount on their gel products
 Nelson Building Society – Golden Bay and Motueka branches who assist with giving out gel bottles.
 Annette Litherland at Landcare Trust, who has been a great resource to make projects happen.
Thank you for all your support on this journey of pest plant control which paves the way for enhanced
environmental restoration in Golden Bay and the “haloes” of our adjoining National Parks.
Chris Rowse – Project Director for Project De-Vine Trust

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Project Directors report AGM Oct 2018