News | Environment
20 Jan 2026 10:34
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  •   Home > News > Environment

    Northland's largest wetland has suffered significant damage after a landowner allowed livestock to enter, sprayed pesticides and illegally installed 600m of drains

    Northland's largest wetland has suffered significant damage after a landowner allowed livestock to enter, sprayed pesticides and illegally installed 600m of drains


    The area damaged in the Kaimaumau-Motutangi Wetland is the size of 54 rugby fields.

    The Environment Court has now ordered New Zealand Watermelon Distributors Limited and its director, Paul Martin Harvey, to undertake immediate remedial work.

    The wetland is classified as a high-priority conservation area by both the Northland Regional Council and the Department of Conservation.

    It's home to endangered species of plants, birds, reptiles, swamp kauri and some of the most expensive timber in the world.

    © 2026 Newstalk ZB, NZCity

     Other Environment News
     20 Jan: The upper North Island's now under severe weather watches and warnings for least the next 42 hours
     19 Jan: Small Northland communities got the worst of the weekend's flooding, but more is to come
     19 Jan: Biosecurity officials hunting Queensland fruit flies in Auckland - have found nothing after another weekend of precautions
     19 Jan: Some people in Northland remain cut-off due to flooding - including a group at a DOC campsite in Puriri Bay, south-east of the Bay of Islands
     19 Jan: Northlanders may have to wait until Wednesday until access to all roads is restored following flooding in its North Eastern area
     18 Jan: MetService has declared 2 severe weather watches
     18 Jan: Civil Defence and marae have sprung into action, after flooding in Northland's North east region
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