Government implements national plan to stop kauri diebackSUPPLIED Progress on stopping the spread of kauri dieback stalled when the Kauri Dieback Programme was renewed in 2014. The Government is taking urgent action to stop the spread of kauri dieback, the incurable disease killing the iconic New Zealand giants. READ MORE:* Government reviews 'disastrous' Kauri Dieback Programme* Auckland Council votes against full closure of Waitākere Ranges* The Hillary race cancelled due to kauri dieback rāhuiNow Biosecurity Minister Damien O'Connor and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage say they will move immediately to strengthen efforts to protect the kauri. O'Connor said he had asked the Kauri Dieback Programme to develop a National Pest Management Plan (NPMP) in light of the continued spread of the disease, "which had the potential to take kauri to the brink of extinction". Kauri dieback, or Phytophthora agathidicida, is caused by a microscopic spore in the soil that attacks the roots and trunks of kauri.

Source: Stuff December 20, 2017 20:03 UTC