13 Nov 2020

Ōhau fire: Conservation setback after native trees, pest traps destroyed

From Checkpoint, 6:25 pm on 13 November 2020

A Lake Ōhau resident says conservation in the area has suffered a significant setback after thousands of dollars worth of native plants and predator traps went up in smoke.

The fire tore through the village early last month, damaging or destroying properties and burning through more than five thousand hectares.

Viv Smith-Campbell is the chair of the Ōhau Conservation Trust, a registered charity that has been removing wilding pines, planting native seedlings and setting possum traps around the village and lake over the past 16 years.

She told reporter Tess Brunton there's not much left of their hard work.