Fulton Hogan Partnership Hits 9000th Pest!

Photo: Fulton Hogan team with PFT volunteers Robyn & Rod

Our collaboration with Fulton Hogan’s Waikato NOC (Network Outcomes Contract) team has gone from strength to strength — and this winter we had cause for a very special celebration.

Back in late 2023, Fulton Hogan joined forces with Predator Free Tamahere to launch a six-month trapping pilot along the Waikato Expressway corridor near the Mangaharakeke Stream, targeting stoats, ferrets, weasels, rats, and possums. The area is a key wildlife zone, home to endangered long-tailed bats and other native species that thrive in the stream’s gully network.

Fast forward to August 2025, and the results are nothing short of fantastic. The five NZ Autotraps (AT220s) installed by the Fulton Hogan team with our help have now taken out 647 pests — a huge contribution to the local landscape and to our overall pest count. In fact, their efforts logged our 9000th pest on Trap.nz!

To mark the occasion, we gathered for a celebratory morning tea with the Fulton Hogan crew who help with regular trap checks, complete with Robyn Richardson’s show-stopping possum cake (almost too realistic to slice!). The cake might have stolen the show, but the real stars are the team behind the traps.

Photo: Possum Cake

A big shout-out to Rob Hutchinson, Contract Manager for the Waikato NOC, who’s been a steadfast supporter of the project right from the start. Thanks to his backing, the pilot has now been extended with even more AT220 traps, ensuring even stronger pest control across this vital corridor.

It’s been a genuine pleasure working with the Fulton Hogan team — they’ve shown what can be achieved when infrastructure projects and conservation efforts go hand in hand. Here’s to continued collaboration, fewer pests, and more wildlife thriving along the expressway!