A major project is under way to restore Lake Hayes’ northern foreshore and wetland to its native state.
Mana Tahuna Charitable Trust is leading the work — which also involves the Queenstown Lakes District Council, Friends of Lake Hayes, e3Scientific and the Department of Conservation — which will replace the willows with 150,000 natives and conduct pest control over three years.
Mana Tahuna chief executive Michael Rewi said the willows were a monoculture that did not allow native plants to grow or native animals to thrive around them, and their root system clogged up the wetland.
The willows would be replaced predominantly with carex, ti kōuka (cabbage tree) and harakeke (native flax) to "create the biodiversity outcomes that we want here and reintroduce our taonga species", he said.
About a month in, much of the work so far had been removing the willow trees, the majority of which had been cut down.
Willows closest to the lake foreshore had been poisoned but not removed to provide temporary shelter for nesting birds while the native vegetation became established.
Next to Mill Creek, willow roots were being removed to restore connectivity of the creek.
The work was clearing the way for the first spring community planting event, from September 18, where it would be all hands on deck from the project partners and Whakatipu Reforestation Trust to get 25,000 natives into the ground.
This would be followed by an autumn community planting next April.
In the meantime, Mana Tahuna was chopping up the majority of felled willows for firewood, which it was distributing to people in its community.
"We’ve done seven tonnes to date and we’re going to be doing a lot more," Mr Rewi said.
"Energy hardship’s a big thing for us in Tahuna and it’s something that Mana Tahuna advocates for at a national level.
"This is us doing our part and walking the walk."
Remaining willow timber was being mulched and spread over parts of the area for weed control.
Southland MP Joseph Mooney said Lake Hayes was his backyard and a place he loved to walk in with his family so "for myself, personally, and the community [the project’s] really important".
"Conservation of this incredible environment is a really important thing for this region and ... for New Zealand generally.
"It’s the second-most photographed lake in the country.
"If we can look after it better and it’s better for all of us to enjoy it, it’s a great thing."
