Predator Free Dunedin’s recent funding boost of more than $7million will allow the collective to manage predator control on more than 67,000ha of urban and rural land.
Predator Free Dunedin project lead Rhys Millar said since 2018 the group had removed about 45,000 predators from 30,000ha of land, and this new funding would expand its operational area to another 37,500ha.
City Sanctuary, delivered by the Dunedin City Council, is one of three Predator Free Dunedin projects.
City Sanctuary operations supervisor Catherine Bradley said the new funding would allow a pilot project in Maori Hill to continue and be expanded to other areas.
"We come to a resident’s property and do an assessment, so we look to see what pests are around and then we provide them with the appropriate trap and the trap training," Mrs Bradley said.
Residents could conduct the trapping on their own or they could ask for a volunteer to visit and help them with their traps.
"Residents who have come to us have been very excited and keen because they have got possums in their roofs or damaging their gardens or their trees."
Predator Free Dunedin is a collective of more than 20 groups which share a long-term vision to eradicate rats, possums and stoats from the city by 2050.
On-the-ground efforts are managed by three main projects: City Sanctuary, delivered by Dunedin City Council; the Halo Project, delivered by the Landscape Connections Trust; and Predator Free Peninsula, delivered by the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group.
