just five minutes a day you can make a difference. “We see kererū, tūī - sometimes up to 12 or more, grey warblers (riroriro), kingfishers (kotare)... “The only one I have still not seen is the bellbird (korimako). I would love to see a bellbird.” He’s even had the odd kererū crash into his bay window after overindulging on berries next door and discovering ”the runway was too short”. But he’s quick to add they all survived and went on their merry way. It’s a similar story on the church grounds,
but it’s more than that – they understand the importance of why they’re trapping and what it’s doing to support Taranaki’s biodiversity,” Mr Veric says. So far 29 Taranaki schools have joined Towards Predator-Free Taranaki. Primary and high school students of all ages are involved by making trap tunnels, or selling traps to their community, monitoring and recording information about predators, biodiversity and trapping catches, or analysing data. New Plymouth teacher Julie Neilson, from Woodleigh
is for our region’s biodiversity. In fact, she reckons her friends are probably sick of hearing about it. “I talk about it a lot,” she laughs. Gillian and Bernie plan to continue looking after the traps as long as they are able and would “absolutely recommend it” to others keen to make a difference to our region’s biodiversity. If you’re interested in checking traps in a New Plymouth park or reserve, contact NPDC Parks Volunteer Officer Laura George on (06) 759 6060 to see where volunteers are
possums are seen, heard or suspected in Oakura and Kaitake, the site of a possum eradication trial as part of Toward Predator-Free Taranaki, then the public are urged to call Taranaki Regional Council on its 24-7 environmental hotline 0800 736 222 or report it online: https://bit.ly/3c7w27H Anecdotal sightings of more native birds and fledglings by the public is promising, but it is too early for any credible trends to confirm native bird numbers are increasing, Mr Shanley says. Scientific trends will
hundreds of predators and led effective community ownership of the 80 or so TRC traps, even filling in gaps with his own rat and possum traps when he sees a need. As predator numbers decrease, native species are thriving. This is confirmed in formal surveys as well as anecdotal evidence. Dave is also an enthusiastic ambassador for the project, spreading the word among track users.
Video profile - Dave Watson John David Dodunski - for outstanding effort to protect and restore native biodiversity - and
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
to visit backyards looking for other food. “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 and report it,” says Max. Towards Predator-Free Taranaki is a region-wide community project, supported by $11.7 million from Predator Free 2050 Ltd. See the video A possum a day in Oākura
page
Submission on resource consent application
Online reference number: CA200404489
Completed on: 14 Apr 2020
Submitter's details
Full name or company name of submitter Rex and Lorraine Langton
Contact Name Rex Langton
Email randllangton@xtra.co.nz
Contact phone number 0276527271
Postal Address: 3 Layard Street, Opunake 4616
Street address of property affected (if different to the address
above)
NA
The Council will serve all formal documents electronically
in relation to this decision; and in
accordance with section 79 of the Act, determined that it does not require further
information, further assessment of options or further analysis of costs and
benefits, or advantages and disadvantages prior to making a decision on this
matter.
Littlewood/Williamson
Public Excluded
In accordance with section 48(1) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act
1987, resolved that the public is excluded from the following
network in New Plymouth. We’re initially focusing on two of the biggest predators in urban New Plymouth – rats and possums. And to stop predators killing urban wildlife, one in five households needs a rat trap. New Plymouth residents interested in trapping can sign up to get a trap or attend the urban trapping workshops held regularly around the district. The Taranaki Regional Council can support you with a range of traps and devices, offering subsidised box-tunnel rat traps that are safe around pets