The Southern Lakes Sanctuary
At the Southern Lakes Sanctuary we are on a transformative journey, building a future for nature’s successful recovery.
For years, our focus had been on controlling predator numbers but we are now shifting gear – from holding the line to boldly advancing the boundaries of our mahi.
Biodiversity like nowhere else
The Southern Lakes is world-renowned for its breathtaking landscapes. But hidden within these mountains, rivers and valleys is something even more extraordinary: a richness of life found nowhere else.
A 2020 independent report declared that protecting biodiversity here would achieve outcomes “with no equal in any other region in New Zealand.” That’s the scale of what’s at stake — and what’s possible.
The Sanctuary protects a globally significant sweep of biodiversity, including at least 35 threatened or at-risk native species. From the high alpine home of the kea and pīwauwau (rock wren), to braided riverbeds where ngutu pare (wrybill) and pohowera (banded dotterel) nest, to the forest strongholds of mohua and kākā, this is a living mosaic of rare and remarkable life.
Even one of two of Aotearoa’s only native land mammals, the pekapeka (long-tailed bat), and unique reptiles like the grand and Otago skinks, call this place home.
A place of global significance
The Southern Lakes region isn’t just special – it’s world-class.
Part of our project area lies within Te Wāhipounamu – South West New Zealand, a UNESCO World Heritage site recognised for its outstanding universal value. It’s one of only three in Aotearoa, alongside Tongariro and the Sub-Antarctic Islands — putting this place among the most important natural landscapes on Earth.
The Sanctuary includes significant parts of Tititea (Mt Aspiring National Park), the third largest in New Zealand, and vast areas of intact, high-quality habitat — home to rare species and ancient ecosystems.
This is more than conservation. It’s about protecting a place of global importance and helping it thrive for generations to come.
Where we work
Southern Lakes Sanctuary’s predator control efforts are strategically focused on seven key Project Hubs — high-priority catchments and basins where our partners are actively working. These include the Makarora, Mātakitaki/Matukituki, Motatapu, Cardrona, Dart-Rees-Greenstone river systems, as well as the Queenstown–Arrowtown and Wānaka–Hāwea basins.
The next phase of our work is to intensify control within each hub and connect them via ecological corridors — creating a continuous, predator-controlled landscape. Looking ahead, we’re preparing to establish a new hub in the Richardson Mountains, further expanding our reach and impact across the region.
Towards a predator free future
Our vision is bold: a Southern Lakes region free of introduced predators.
Spanning 850,000 hectares, this is a long game – but one we’re ready to win. Using a phased, strategic approach, we’re working site by site to turn suppression into full-scale elimination, eventually connecting these areas into a predator-free landscape.
We apply world-class science and global best practice to planning, implementation, and monitoring. Our partners are also leading local innovation — trialling new tools and techniques, and pushing the limits of what’s possible in predator control.
The Southern Lakes region mirrors much of Aotearoa’s wider landscape. If we can succeed here, we’ll help blaze the trail for a truly predator-free New Zealand.