species are currently threatened or at risk of extinction. However, Towards Predator-Free Taranaki is helping the region’s community remove introduced predators from urban, rural and conservation land to help restore biodiversity. “In the long run our effort will be good for my grandkids and their kids but we all have to do our bit because if we all do nothing – and it's easy to do nothing – nothing will get done, ” says Steve. Steve has been a member of the Mangorei Rd club for more than 30 years and
A willingness to help his Pā has seen Ngā Māhanga hapū member take on a fun role of Pā pest protector. For the last four months Ray MacDonald (Rangitane, Taranaki Iwi and Te Atiawa) and his daughter Waimirirangi have been regularly monitoring eight rat traps along Matanehunehu Stream next to Puniho Pā in Warea on Highway 45. “We love spending time at the Pā and thought why not help the Towards Predator-Free Taranaki cause while we’re out there,” says Ray. “We went to our Trustees Hui to see if
conversions resulting in increasingly intensive
farming, or rapid urbanisation.
Generally speaking, Taranaki can be happy with the
state of its rivers and streams. The Council’s latest,
peer-reviewed environmental monitoring data
shows that the region’s waterways are in reasonably
good health, according to both ecological and
physical-chemical measures.
This has not been achieved simply by good luck.
Nor is it solely because the current Regional
Freshwater Plan
and with $11.7 million from Predator Free 2050 Ltd, the Restore Kaitake work is also supported by environmental restoration project Taranaki Mounga and community-led groups like Restore Oākura, Oākura Community Board, iwi and Kaitake Ranges Conservation Trust. To help reach the goal of zero possums, if you hear, see or suspect there may be a possum in your backyard or somewhere in urban Oākura then please call 0800 736 222 or report it online - - www.trc.govt.nz/possum
the traps by their dairy shed twice every day and at least once a week for the traps further away on the farm – parents Terry and Rochelle are happy for the kids to take charge. Since starting trapping they’ve seen a lot more birds than before, particularly tui and pīwakawaka (fantail). “A couple of days ago we were walking to the house when I saw eight kereru in a tree. There were eight of them just sitting there, with one or two fantails hanging around,” she says. Listening to Monica, It’s
View information about Taranaki on our LocalMaps, which replaces the former mapping portal, Regional Xplorer. LocalMaps show various categories of property information, land use and natural features on photograph-based or topographical maps. The TRC also has environmental data maps showing real-time feeds of monitoring data including rainfall, wind, air temperature, river levels and soil moisture. LocalMapsUse LocalMaps to find information on various categories including property information,
page
1
Regional Unity
Taranaki is a successful region with a history of strong regional unity.
For some time now, local governments have recognised the benefits of sharing services with
other councils. Such arrangements can result in significant cost savings and efficiencies in
service delivery or buying power, avoid duplication and make the best use of scarce
resources or technical skills.
Close collaboration and sharing of expertise and experience among councils on
dollars to eliminate or heavily curtail the environmental impacts of wastewater discharges. A report by Business and Economic Research Ltd found that region-wide, the Taranaki community invested $117 million in environmental improvements in the six years to 2014. A large portion of this was devoted to waterways, with $279.7 million being spent on capital and annual operating costs in the same period. And the quest for improvements continues. The Council is requiring dairy farmers to switch to
