Momentum Report 2025

This last year has been a remarkable one for Predator Free Dunedin – and on the Otago Peninsula, it marks the moment we can finally say the Peninsula is possum free. After more than fifteen years of determined effort by the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group, landowners, and the local community, supported in recent years by City Sanctuary and the Halo Project, the traps have fallen silent and the last possums have gone. It is an extraordinary achievement, reflecting thousands of hours of perseverance, innovation, and shared belief in what a predator free future can look like for our birds, our forests, and our communities. 

We are confirming elimination on the Otago Peninsula using our evidence driven possum probability model, which you can read about on page 24. It has been inspiring to see modern tools working alongside deep local knowledge, landowner commitment, and boots on the ground. AI-enabled cameras, thermal drones, and Scout, the hardworking scat detection dog, have all played their part in tracking down the final possums. The journey has been long, but the results are something we can all take pride in. 

Progress across the wider Ōtepoti / Dunedin landscape has been just as important. City Sanctuary continues to provide essential protection across the urban area, helping secure the gains made on the Peninsula and keeping our citizens engaged in the Predator Free 2050 vision. To the north, the Halo Project is working with landowners as part of the Karitāne Kirimoko / Kilmog Possum Programme and advancing cutting edge predator control techniques, including AI-enabled traps that reduce risks to taoka such as kākā. Growing interest from groups across Aotearoa / New Zealand and overseas in visiting and learning from this work shows that Ōtepoti / Dunedin continues to be recognised as a leader in conservation innovation. 

None of this progress would be possible without the commitment of the Project’s staff and volunteers. Their skill, resilience, and determination have been central to every milestone reached this year, and we are deeply appreciative and proud of their ongoing dedication. Their efforts are strongly supported by the funders who back this mahi. We are grateful for their continued investment, which enables the work happening across Ōtepoti / Dunedin and helps ensure we can maintain momentum and deliver meaningful outcomes for biodiversity.  

While this has been a year of major achievement, it has also been one of change. With the disestablishment of Predator Free 2050 Limited and its functions moving to the Department of Conservation, the funding environment continues to shift. In response, the Predator Free Dunedin Trust has been refreshing its strategic direction to ensure it is well-positioned to continue the Predator Free mission and to deliver strong biodiversity outcomes for our region. The Trustees will continue to engage with key stakeholders to ensure the structure is fit for purpose. Predator Free Dunedin Trust looks forward to increased engagement with Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki and Te Rūnaka o Ōtākou as it undertakes this strategic review. We look forward to sharing more about this work as it progresses. 

This year has shown what can be achieved through collaboration, commitment, and community spirit. We are excited for the road ahead and look forward to building on this momentum together. 

Sally Peart - Chair, Predator Free Dunedin