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. 

Waitākere Ranges Closures

The following tracks remain open. All others are closed.

  • Huia Dam Road (to dam only)
  • Pipeline Road and part of Pipeline Track
  • Upper Nihotupu Dam Road and Upper Nihotupu Walk
  • Waitakere Dam Walk
  • Exhibition Drive Walk
  • Anawhata Beach Track
  • Cave Rock Track
  • Laird Thompson Track
  • Lion Rock Track
  • Long Road Track (partial - from road end to where paddock meets forest)
  • McLachlan Monument Track
  • Rose Track
  • Signal House Track
  • Spraggs Monument Track
  • Tasman Lookout Track
  • Te Henga Walkway
  • Kakamatua Beach Walk
  • Lake Wainamu Track
  • Mercer Bay Loop Track
  • Lookout Track (Arataki Visitor Centre)
  • Marawhara Track
  • Ian Wells Track
  • Large Kauri Walk

Odlins 2 Campground is closed. Others remain open for now.

Hunua Ranges Closures

The following tracks are closed.

  • Cossey Wairoa Track
  • Whakatiwai Ridge Track 
  • Whakatiwai Road Track
  • Lower Workman Track
  • Mangatangi Trig Track
  • Waharau Ridge Track
  • Mangatangi Ridge Track
  • Lower Link Track
  • Upper Link Track
  • Lower Mangatawhiri Track
  • Kohukohunui Track - partial closure on the eastern side from Kohukohunui Trig Track junction.

The following campsites are closed.

  • Mangatangi Trig Campground
  • Workman Campground
  • Thousand (1000) Acres Campground
  • Adam's Lookout Campground

Further information