Through iwi and charitable donations over the past two years, the trust bought specialised equipment for its now 11 fulltime staff.
Overnight on Friday, however, thousands of dollars worth of gear was stolen from the trust’s Hamiora Pl base.
The crime left staff unable to work and livelihoods in limbo.
Trust operations manager Amber Taare said CCTV footage showed a vehicle arriving at 10.24pm on Friday.
Burglars smashed the front door then set about clearing the building and yard of everything possible.
Taare said the thieves took more than 200 leg hold traps valued about $600, two custom-made possum pluckers valued at $4500 each, a chainsaw, a compressor, a commercial vacuum, two personal locator beacons valued at $300 each, two handheld GPS devices valued at $1500 each, a large range of electric power tools, cutting tools and two big black bags of possum fur worth more than $600.
They broke into a ute and stole the battery and spare tyre, and syphoned petrol from the vehicles. Work boots, personal protective equipment and storage backpacks were also taken.
Taare said the thieves unsuccessfully tried to steal the tyres on a trailer.
“We weren’t aware of that and when one of the staff members took the trailer away on Saturday, they nearly had an accident because the wheels were all loose.”
Taare said it had taken the trust two years to get to where they were, and they were highly regarded for the work they did.
Wallabies do significant environmental damage in Rotorua. Photo / Andrew Warner
She said the break-in was particularly devastating because they had been looking forward to the business awards to “get the word out” about their good works.
“We run on the smell of an oily rag. Now we have got this setback, our crew won’t be able to go to work, which means they won’t be able to get paid.
“They do have minimum hours that they get for the week but it’s not enough to sustain their livelihoods.”
Hingston said the bags of possum fur were supposed to be sold this week to help subsidise the tickets for staff and their partners to attend the awards.
“We had bought two tables for the event but it’s $250 a ticket. We can’t afford that … We are supposed to be celebrating our success this week.”
About the trust
Te Arawa Wallaby Kāhui was established in 2022 by Ngāti Tarāwhai, which recognised the need for a better response to the devastating impact of wallabies and other pests in nearby ngahere (forests).
It was later formalised as a collective of seven Te Arawa iwi and hapū to protect the environment from the growing threat of invasive species.
Taare said the kāhui had led pest control operations across large areas of Māori and private land.
“Our approach is guided by kaupapa Māori values, with a strong commitment to restoring balance to the whenua and safeguarding our forests, taonga species, and freshwater ecosystems. The team has grown significantly – not just in size, but in skill.”
She said they were proud their kaimahi (workers) were now trained in ground control and biosecurity, including trapping, night shooting, plant pest control, wallaby fence maintenance, tau koura monitoring, eDNA testing, health and safety practices and data collection and reporting.
Taare said one of its proudest achievements was creating employment and growing a skilled, whānau-based workforce capable of leading environmental protection efforts across Te Arawa.
Hunting the thieves
Police said they were investigating the Hamiora Pl burglary and had collected fingerprints.
Anyone with information should contact police through its 105 services using the reference number 251005/0285.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.