An ill-looking kauri tree on private land in Pirongia has been cleared of having kauri dieback disease.
The owner of the land where the tree stands had been concerned that the kauri had been affected by the pathogen that causes kauri dieback.
Waikato Regional Council's kauri dieback project manager, Kim Parker says “It’s great news we’ve been able to rule kauri dieback out in this case but also excellent that the landowner contacted us for advice,”
"Agencies battling the spread of this disease need the public to be our eyes and ears."
Kauri are naturally found in the Waikato, roughly from Kawhia to Tauranga.
There are currently five confirmed areas in the Coromandel where kauri dieback is present and are being monitored, however, there is always a risk of other infection sites in the Waikato region.
"There is no known cure for kauri dieback so preventing its spread is the best way to protect the giants of the forest,"
"A key way it is spread is moving infected soil around. So washing and removing soil from boots, camping equipment and the wheels of vehicles, then disinfecting, after being in areas with kauri is one of the best ways of stopping the disease spreading," Parker says.