If you’re old enough to remember the ‘80s, chances are you’ll recognise the words “old man’s beard must go”. More than 30 years after that David Bellamy ad, it hasn’t all gone but we haven’t given up the fight. Old man’s beard remains one of our highest priority weeds. A vine that grows up to 20m tall, it creates a thick blanket that smothers trees and can destroy native forests. In Taranaki you must control any old man’s beard on your property. There are however a couple of exceptions to this
Around 550 people have attended Taranaki Regional Council’s freshwater drop-in sessions at the 16 events held around the region over the past two weeks. The drop-in sessions, which ran from 17 June to 1 July and covered the main urban centres as well as smaller rural locations, were a chance for communities to chat with Council staff about the future of freshwater. The focus now shifts to online community conversations with a Zoom meeting on 3 July and surveys around key freshwater issues
Construction will soon get underway at Taranaki Regional Council to replace an earthquake-prone building and carry out long-overdue upgrades. The Council buildings on Cloten Road, Stratford have a long history and in the 1900s were the site of the Stratford Co-Operative Dairy Factory. Inspections in recent years revealed the office block west of the main administration building does not meet earthquake standards. Asbestos and toxic mould were also found to be present in that building. A review
Taranaki Regional Council Chairperson Charlotte Littlewood has announced her resignation as chair. Mrs Littlewood confirmed her intention to see out her term as Councillor, and resign from the chairperson role, effective 18 February 2025. “Due to changes in my personal circumstances, I am relocating to Christchurch. This makes it untenable to fulfil the responsibilities of the chairperson role, so I am stepping down,” she says. “I am incredibly proud of the accomplishments we have achieved
Protecting the environment is front and centre in Taranaki Regional Council’s Long-Term Plan (LTP) with new investment to safeguard the region’s biodiversity, deliver freshwater improvements and address climate change. The 10-year plan for the region was adopted today, including over the period $4.04m in additional funding for freshwater monitoring and developing a new Land and Freshwater Plan, $915,000 for improving climate science, $440,000 for the Council to coordinate biodiversity work
A new bus service to strengthen transport links around the Taranaki coast is being trialled with the launch of an Ōpunake to New Plymouth (SH45) Southlink Coastal route. Starting early November, the route will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays with two return trips a day and replaces a previous service which only operated on a Friday. The boost in coastal bus links by Taranaki Regional Council follows feedback from the community earlier in the year on public transport and comes as the
A spacious lawn area in the heart of the beautiful Hollard Gardens. This is a lush setting for any wedding or special event.
It’s about to get tougher for wannabe invaders to enter the Zero Possum project zone, with the installation of 60 new self-reporting cameras. Taranaki Regional Council launched Towards Predator-Free Taranaki in 2018, with an ambitious goal of eliminating possums between the Oakura River and Timaru Stream. The Zero Possum zone was extended to the Hangatāhua (Stony) River last year, thanks to $2.5m in Government funding, taking the total area to 9500 hectares. Results to date are promising. About
Nominations are now open for the 30th Taranaki Regional Council Environmental Awards, which feature revamped categories that better reflect what matters to people across the region. The annual awards aim to honour super-powered initiatives within our region that contribute significantly to protecting and enhancing the Taranaki environment. Changes include the addition of new categories such as Youth Environmental Leader, Environmental Action in Water Quality Improvement and Environmental Action
Welcoming back fans to Yarrow Stadium, a 28% per cent rise in bus passengers and securing $2.5m in Towards Predator-Free Taranaki funding were among the notable success stories for Taranaki Regional Council in the last financial year. The 2022/2023 Annual Report, which was adopted at today’s Ordinary Meeting, shows the Council has invested to deliver a major increase in work programmes resulting from the introduction of a raft of regulatory changes by the Government including how freshwater is