Vehicle and heavy machinery hygiene

Advice on how to protect Kauri from the PA pathogen while driving or operating heavy machinery near Kauri trees.

Kauri are threatened by a soil-borne pathogen called Phytophthora agathidicida (PA for short), which causes the fatal condition known as kauri dieback disease.

Guidelines to prevent the spread of the PA pathogen

Vehicles (e.g. cars, trucks, four-wheel drives, tractors) and heavy machinery (e.g. dozers, excavators, graders) are often used in and around Kauri forests where earthworks, maintenance and construction operations are involved. 

These guidelines outline best practice hygiene measures when using vehicles and heavy machinery, including when using such vehicles to transport potentially contaminated soil or other loads from an area that is infected, or potentially infected, with the PA pathogen.

National plan to protect Kauri

Note: From 2 August 2022 ten new rules/regulations have been introduced as part of a National Plan to help protect Kauri from the PA pathogen.

More information on the Plan and how it affects operations on your land.  

Research has underpinned the information in some of these guidelines. These resources will be updated in the coming months, with new guidelines to be developed.

More information about how to identify the disease.