Details from a private meeting about an embattled bird sanctuary in Southland will remain secret for now, despite strong community interest.

Uncertainty has surrounded Te Anau Bird Sanctuary/Punanga Manu o Te Anau since earlier this year when DOC announced it was “exploring alternatives” to its management and later revealed it would rehome birds.

The sanctuary, on the shores of Lake Te Anau, is home to a range of native birds including takahē.

The Te Anau bird sanctuary is home to a range of native birds, but many are set to depart. Photo: Supplied

On Tuesday, the department met with Fiordland Community Board chair Diane Holmes following receipt of an impassioned letter supporting the site.

Holmes was optimistic after the meeting that the sanctuary’s next steps would be positive as key stakeholders worked together.

“I will say after that meeting yesterday we are satisfied that they’re (DOC) considering all their options.”

But she would not divulge what was discussed, and DOC has remained equally tight-lipped.

“We had a really positive meeting with the board chair where they outlined their concerns and we spoke about the challenges we face,” DOC operations manager Te Anau John Lucas said.

Lucas confirmed his organisation had made a "tough decision" early in the year to transition out of management.

DOC announced in July it would begin reducing hours and rehoming birds — despite a public consultation still being in progress — because it needed to redirect resources to other work such as infrastructure on predator-free islands.

Takahē will stay, but kōwhiowhio/whio had already been rehomed, DOC said. Pāteke/brown teal and Antipodes Island kākāriki would follow at a later date.

Following the July announcement, Holmes wrote that the pace and approach of bird removals had caused community unease and also expressed concern about potential tourism impact.

A kākā known as "Charlie girl" was shifted from the Te Anau sanctuary in 2024 after spending more than two decades there. Photo: Supplied

The site is owned by Southland Fish & Game which has enlisted the help of Ōraka-Aparima Rūnaka to help create a vision for it; the rūnaka in turn got regional development agency Great South onboard.

Great South general manager regional strategy Bobbi Brown said 90 submissions were received during a three-week consultation ending 3 August and hoped the next steps could be shared soon.

Rūnaka deputy chair Sue Crengle said in an earlier statement that the sanctuary was a taonga: “a treasure for our people and our region”.

According to background information provided by DOC, the department became involved with the sanctuary in 1987.

DOC said it was thought the site was set up by the Southern Acclimatisation Society before becoming a Department of Internal Affairs hatchery in 1945.

Southland Fish & Game said it received ownership of the site from DOC in 2005.

DOC's February announcement about managing the sanctuary followed a 2024 review which assessed its condition, purpose and sustainability.

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