Boffa Miskell developed a 10-year weed management strategy, providing a practical, catchment-wide framework to guide weed management. Developing the strategy required extensive aerial and ground-based surveys across more than 100,000 hectares of riverbed, wetlands, floodplains and adjacent habitats to identify and map weed distributions. During surveys, teams also removed low-density weed infestations, preventing their spread into otherwise pristine landscapes.

The strategy identifies priority species and emerging threats, assesses ecological values at risk, and provides a prioritised programme of control actions, establishing a framework that aligns with regional pest management objectives and prioritises biodiversity outcomes. An online GIS-based mapping platform was developed to support future management and monitoring.

The Route Burn was identified as an early priority for action due to scattered infestations that posed a risk to the wider Dart catchment. In 2026, an Otago Regional Council-funded programme managed by Boffa Miskell successfully removed known weed infestations from the Route Burn, one of the strategy catchment’s more intact tributaries.

The strategy provides a practical, evidence-based framework for protecting braided river habitats, helping secure investment, coordinate management efforts, and deliver on-the-ground outcomes across the catchment. By aligning programmes and sharing contractors, control work is being delivered more efficiently, reducing travel and management costs while achieving broader catchment outcomes.