Understanding the Drivers and Barriers to Preventing the Spread of Kauri Dieback: An Audience Segmentation Approach

Kauri dieback, caused by Phytophthora agathidicida Weir, Beever, Pennycook & Bellgard, poses a major threat to the ecological and cultural significance of Aotearoa New Zealand’s kauri forests. Visitor behaviour, particularly boot-cleaning and adherence to track-use guidelines, is a key transmission pathway. Using the COM-B framework and audience segmentation, we surveyed 451 visitors to the Waitākere and Hunua Ranges to identify behavioural drivers, barriers, and segment-specific intervention needs. Stepwise regressions accounted for 52% of the variance in self-reported boot-cleaning compliance and 56% in track-use compliance within this sample (adjusted R2). Boot-cleaning compliance was enhanced by habit strength, worry about spreading the pathogen, awareness of correct procedures, and reliance on functional cleaning stations, while inconvenience and chemical aversion reduced compliance. Track-use compliance was lowered by perceived low likelihood of spread, doubts about mitigation effectiveness, time-cost concerns, and strong forest-use identity, whereas protection motivation and habitual rule-following increased compliance. Latent profile analyses produced three segments per behaviour: boot-cleaning—Conflicted, Receptive, Engaged; and track-use—Identity-Driven Forest Users, Uncommitted, Engaged—which differed systematically in knowledge, concern, and compliance. We outline potential intervention implications informed by these findings and prior literature.