Park dream comes closer

SOSSI SUCCESS: The committee, from left, Jean Taylor-Bell, secretary Rita Wilkes, chairman Allan Parker, Fiona McKenzie, Graham Mackie, Heather Bell, Raewyn French and deputy chairwoman Alison Wesley.

Relevant offers

Volunteers of the Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society Inc (SOSSI) received a well-deserved pat on the back when construction of a predator-proof fence at Shakespear Regional Park started last week.

"This is a proud moment for SOSSI as we see the result of many years of fundraising beginning to take place in front of us," SOSSI chairman Allan Parker says.

SOSSI volunteers, led by Mr Parker and a dedicated committee, raised more than $400,000 through donations, fundraising efforts and grants toward the fence.

Their efforts and ongoing hard work were praised by all the speakers at a sod-turning ceremony, with Rodney deputy mayor John Kirikiri simply saying, "SOSSI – you rock".

The 1.75-kilometre fence will run from Okoromai Bay across the Whangaparaoa Peninsula to Army Bay, turning the park into a wildlife sanctuary. It will include the sewage treatment plant on Rodney District Council land, and also a New Zealand Defence Force naval military training base. It is expected to be finished by mid-2011 and will make 550 hectares at the end of the peninsula a "mainland island".

The fence and eventual removal of predators follows the rationale behind the highly successful open sanctuary at Tawharanui Regional Park. The 2.7km fence there has been in place since 2004 and has seen natural resettlement by native birds such as kereru and kaka from Tiritiri Matangi Island and bellbirds from Hauturu – Little Barrier Island.

The predator-free status of Tawharanui Regional Park has also seen approval for the re-introduction of brown kiwi, robins, whiteheads, kakariki, forest and green geckos and others – now thriving.

But the fundraising effort is not over yet for the dedicated band of SOSSI workers.

"We still need around $150,000 for automated gates," Mr Parker says. "There's going to be a lot of ongoing work with this sanctuary, and we'll need an army of volunteers to help us with it."

To join SOSSI or become an open sanctuary volunteer, visit sossi.org.nz.

- © Fairfax NZ News