Auckland Council's Environment and Community Committee decided 10 April to close public access in response to Kauri Dieback Disease. Forested areas will be closed, while beaches and pasture lands will remain open. Some closures will also occur in the Hunua Ranges. The closures will be backed by a Controlled Area Notice under the Biosecurity Act. 

The Waitākere Ranges are already subject to a rāhui (customary closure) established four months ago by local iwi, Te Kawerau ā Maki. The iwi called on Auckland Council at the time to establish a biosecurity Controlled Area. 

Auckland Counciller, Penny Hulse commented on Radio NZ Morning Report: "Areas that are permanently closed, that will be intergenerational. There are parts of the Waitākere ranges that will be off limits for my lifetime."

Staff are now beginning to decommission tracks and remove signage from the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park.

Once surface improvements and rerouting is undertaken, some tracks will be reopened. The Hillary Trail is affected by the closure, but will be a priority for reopening.

Kauri Dieback is caused by a soil pathogen and infects kauri roots and has been found to be spread by humans. The Waitākere Ranges are the most heavily infected area recorded in the country with over 18% of trees found to be infected in 2016. 

Closures

42 tracks are currently closed, with 9 of those closed for over 5 years and already decommissioned. 

The closed tracks are:

  • Andersons Track
  • Arthur Mead
  • Bob Gordon Track
  • Browne Track
  • Chateau Mosquito
  • Christies Track
  • Clark Bush Track
  • East Tunnel Mouth Track
  • Farley Track
  • Ferndown Track
  • Filter Track
  • Forbes Track
  • Goodfellow Track
  • Hettig Track
  • Home Track
  • Kura Track
  • La Trobe Track
  • Lower Kauri Track
  • Lucy Cranwell Track
  • Maungaroa Ridge Track
  • McKenzie Track
  • Nihotupu Ridge Track
  • Nugget Track
  • Peripatus Track
  • Pole Line Track
  • Pukematekeo Track
  • Quarry Track
  • RGB Track
  • Robinsons Ridge
  • Sharp Bush Track
  • Summit Track
  • Taumata Track
  • Tom Thumb By-Pass Track
  • Tom Thumb Track
  • Twin Peaks Track
  • Upper Huia Dam Track
  • Wainamu Bush Track
  • Waitākere Tramline Walk
  • Waitoru Reserve Track
  • Walker Kauri Track
  • West Tunnel Mouth Track
  • Zion Ridge Track

Further information