In November 2006, the Auckland Regional Council accepted that the best way to achieve an open sanctuary in Shakespear Regional Park was to build a pest-proof fence. The Auckland Council was granted resource consent for the pest proof fence in 2009, and the fence was constructed between October 2010 and March 2011.
The fence is 1.7 km long and runs from Army Bay to Okoromai Bay, enclosing an area of about 500 hectares, and cost $750,000. It includes an automatic gate for vehicle access to the Park, while three smaller gates allow pedestrians though. The boat ramp at Army Bay and dog walking areas at Okoromai remain outside the fence.
Fence marked in red
The Auckland Council was then granted resource consent for the pest animal eradication programme in January 2011. Pest eradication was carried out in July and August 2011, during which time the park was closed to the public. It remained closed for a further 120 days and re-opened in December 2011. All introduced mammalian pests have been eradicated, except mice.