Wilding pines are here to stay but we now have enough information to determine the best form of management, former research scientist Nick Ledgard says.
Mr Ledgard, who has been researching wildings since the 1980s, delivered a presentation to community members at Queenstown Lakes District Council last Monday.
He emphasised in some cases the risks and cost of battling wildings was too large, but in others the community was winning.
Through comparisons with other New Zealand case studies, he concluded Queenstown was winning the war and commended the efforts of the local wilding group in conjunction with the Department of Conservation.
"The likes of your group and Doc, of course, are doing an excellent job."
In some cases, such as Marlborough, "the horse has bolted" and he said it was essential communities picked their winners.
The overall method for control was to get to the trees before they coned.
Serious invasions were due to land managers' inability to recognise the wildings' capability.
He took issue with a few points in the Queenstown Lakes District Council's proposed plan concerning wildings, such as "the presumption that we go straight to dense" invasions.
"A few trees growing out every so often is not a big issue."
Often native birds, geckos, weta and other species lived in the radiata pines and Mr Ledgard saw no harm in leaving some pines to aid natural habitats.
"I think we have to be realistic.
"If you want to improve the eco-system, leave a few of them there."
Of New Zealand's 1.2 million affected hectares, the South Island accounted for 800,000ha with introduced conifers growing well on high-altitude slopes, such as those in the Queenstown area.
Mr Ledgard's conclusion was to promote the use of the right species on the right site.
