A haven for wildlife in the Te Puke hills is providing a great boost for conservation in the Bay, and Forest & Bird members are pleased to see protection on the way for the 400 hectares of the proposed Otawa Sanctuary Area.

Public notices have been distributed and submissions are due by November 23.

A rare frog, Leiopelma Hochstetteri Ottawa, lives in 400 hectares of the proposed Otawa Sanctuary area. Photo: File.

After more than four decades of quarrying on the site, the future of rare wildlife living there will be secured by this designation and the community will benefit with enhanced birdlife on the adjoining Otawa track.

The public access goes from Otanewainuku Forest to Otawa Scenic Reserve, and the new sanctuary will be another link in the chain of lowland coastal forest habitat which is a feature of the Te Puke and Papamoa hills.

Forest and Bird's Te Puke branch is hosting an information evening on Monday, November 16 to let local people know about the special creature Leiopelma Hochstetteri Ottawa that lives on the site of the proposed sanctuary.

'All are welcome to this meeting, where Department of Conservation staff will talk about the critically endangered Hochstetters frog which has survived on site,” says a statement from Te Puke Forest and Bird committee.

'This tiny frog is of international significance as it is a genetically significant evolutionary unit and one of the rarest known frogs in the world to date.

'There is exciting potential for kiwi and kokako populations to thrive in this forest where they lived not long ago.”

Native freshwater species are also present with high water quality no longer under threat from quarrying operations.

Puriri trees were once a part of this unique ecosystem and a biodiversity management plan will encourage the return of these trees and other forest plants.

The public meeting, chaired by Pim de Monchy from Bay of Plenty Regional Council, will take place on November 16 at the Kiwi360 complex on the main road from Te Puke to Paengaroa, from 7.30 pm.