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Pests not Pets! How are wallabies affecting New Zealand?
March 2, 2020
Wallabies were first introduced to New Zealand in 1870 for the purpose of sport, hunting and for the value of their skins.
Since then their numbers have increased and they can now be found in Canterbury, Otago and areas of the North Island. However, A Landcare report says they could cover a third of the country in 50 years and cost the economy almost $100 million a year in lost revenue. Their reach is growing and studies have found that they could spread to cover a third of the country if left unchecked.
Why is this a problem? Despite their fluffy, harmless appearance, wallabies are having a catastrophic effect on New Zealand both environmentally and economically.
Wallabies live in the dense native New Zealand bush and like rabbits, they are eating their way through it. Feeding on seedlings and damaging tussock grasslands and young pine trees that native birds and animals rely on for food and shelter.
Who is responsible ?
The wallaby containment area in South Canterbury covers more than 450,000 hectares of land across Hunter Hills, Albury, Kirkilston and Two Thumb Range. However these pests are now being seen in other areas and containing them is becoming more and more of a problem.
It is currently the responsibility of land occupiers within the containment area as well as local government to maintain the wallaby numbers. And if you farm within the containment area you have to pay for wallaby control on the land. But is this enough or should this problem be taken more seriously? It is estimated that wallabies are currently causing around $28 million a year in damages and it is costing individual land owners and local government approximately $1.38 million a year to keep their numbers at a safe level and land owners are using aerial pest control, poison and hunting to do this.
A recent story from TVNZ highlights their devastating effect on the country and how the team Heliventures and Trap and Trigger are helping to stop it.
Aerial Pest Control & Thermal Imaging
Heliventures provides a number of pest control application services which aim to assist land managers in the protection of their land and native wildlife from Wallabies and various other types of pests.
The team at Trap and Trigger have perfected their thermal imaging systems
which is ideal for aerial surveys. This technology is ideal for detecting animals that live in dense areas of the bush such as wallabies. This makes it possible to locate animals for removal or determine whether a species has been eradicated from an area.
Efficiencies of aerial thermal imaging for assisting in wildlife management is far greater than what can be achieved on the ground. Having no restrictions to topography and vegetation gives the upper hand in the battle against pests.
We have a crew of highly experienced pilots and ground crew who are passionate about the services Heliventures have to offer, in particular our agricultural services. Many of our staff have agricultural backgrounds which means they understand exactly what the farmer requires.
Heliventures NZ was engaged by Network Waitaki to string new power lines for Top Energy between Kaikohe and Ngawha substations near Kerikeri, Northland during June and July this year.
This is part of the Ngawha expansion programme to commission a new 31.5MW geothermal power station early next year.
Back in 2018 Heliventures pilot Matt Irving was working over in a mine in the Northern Territory of Australia when he received a call about two travellers stranded in rising flood waters. A local publican had gone down to the McArthur River to check the water level when he discovered the two men trapped on the roof of their vehicle. The two men had attempted to drive their camper van over a bridge to get to the nearby pub, but had stalled after driving into rising floodwaters on the Tablelands Highway. As the water level began to rise, they clambered up onto the roof of their camper van and had been trapped there for 24hours before being spotted. After the police were called, they contacted the mine to see if it had a helicopter available. Mr Irving was then contacted and asked if he could pull the rescue operation off. Matt and John Waerea, a member of the mine’s rescue team worked with the emergency services to plan the rescue. Mr Irving carefully manoeuvred his helicopter between trees and delicately hovered above the camper van. From there, Mr Waerea was able to jump on to the roof of the camper van that was being rocked by the fast flowing river.
Heliventures partnered with Broadspectrum and Kahu helicopters to perform a transmission tower replacement at the Craigieburn Cutting.
An update to let our valued clients know that we are remaining open for essential agricultural services and emergency work as per industry guidance. We will update however if this changes.
Contact us for more information
The crew at Heliventures got to team up with Network Waitaki and OceanaGold Macraes recently to help with their power line planning.
Heliventures was able to offer aerial assistance during the planning and re-design of powerlines in the Frasers pit. The current supply conductors were relocated in order to to continue developing and maintaining services for Frasers underground activity.
Why a scenic flight in a helicopter should be on your bucket list?
Have you ever taken a private flight on on helicopter? Or has it always been on your list of things to try but you just havn't managed it yet? If no then why not? Taking a private helicopter flight should be on your bucket list, especially if you live in or are traveling in New Zealand.
If you're traveling in New Zealand and can't decide what should top your list of places to go then why not go to them all. With a Scenic flight you can explore some of the most unique landscapes and features of the Waitaki region.
On our Coastal route we will fly you along the beautiful and rugged Waitaki coastline where you can marvel at the ‘Global Must-See’ Moeraki Boulders. These are possibly some of the most photographed rocks and boulders in New Zealand!
Aerial views of the flooding in Gore. Parts of the Southland town was evacuated earlier this week as the Mataura River rose and heavy rain fell. The Eastern Southland town of Gore is in clean up mode after the River flooded causing part of the town to be evacuated on Wednesday 5th February.
Civil Defence and Southland District Council have a huge task ahead, as they try to contact hundreds of urban and rural residents in the aftermath of the week's flooding.
Environment Canterbury has tested a new tool in its fight to stop the spread of wallabies this winter.
ECan, along with wildlife removal and conservation company Trap and Trigger and Heliventures NZ, flew three test operations with thermal animal-detection equipment to detect and kill the invasive pest in areas outside South Canterbury’s "containment area" where the animals are known to have spread.