Ecological restoration of Auckland’s Tūpuna Maunga (ancestral mountains) is managed by the Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau Authority (Maunga Authority) which is made up of representatives from Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau and Auckland Council.
Te Ngahere’s contract since 2015 primarily involves work at five of the volcanic cones: Ōhinerau/Mt Hobson, Rarotonga/Mt Smart, Maungarei/Mt Wellington, Te Kōpuke/Mt St John and Takurunga/Mt Victoria. This work includes targeted weed control at GPS coordinates and through grid searching, following strict contract specifications for chemicals and methods used which have been approved by the Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau Authority. There is also additional work including the set up of volunteer animal pest control at other sites (including Owairaka or Te Ahi-ka-a-Rakatura/Mt Albert and Te Tātua a Riukiuta/Big King) and largely manual weed control and ropes work to protect threatened species including annual fern (Anogramma leptophylla) and Geranium retrorsum at Maungarei/Mt Wellington.
Auckland's Tūpuna Maunga hold a paramount place in the historical, spiritual, ancestral and cultural identity of the 13 iwi and hapū of Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau (the mana whenua tribes of Auckland). The maunga are at the heart of Auckland's identity and represent a celebration of our Māori identity as the city's point of difference in the world. Te Ngahere takes pride in being able to protect and restore these significant cultural sites.
The contract is closely managed with auditing and site inspections by the contract manager and reporting which includes providing tracklogs for all staff. Over two financial years (2015/2016 to 2016/2017) the number of active sites (sites where weeds have been recorded in the last year) has reduced from 53 to 35.