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• TRC Bulletin - June 2021

But others are also converting even though their consents still have a number of years to run – a trend encouraged by Council officers. Pond problems pinpointed during inspectionsThe consent farm dairy effluent consent compliance rate remains above 90%, the Consents & Regulatory Committee was told. But results from the latest inspection round show overall non-compliance has increased from 5.2% to 8.6%, the Committee was told. Significant non-compliance increased from 1.6% to 2.7%. None warranted

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• Towards Predator-Free
• Predator Free news
• Bringing the nature back to Eltham

to check them all and until recently she was doing it weekly. She’s just cut back to every two to three weeks, as the catch rate has dropped. Becky hopes that’s a sign the traps are starting to make an impact on predator numbers in the town. “Hopefully it’s helping.” Asked why she does it, the answer is simple: “They are not supposed to be here.” “I don’t like killing things but it’s just one of those things that we have to do,” she says. “If either natives or predators have to die I would rather

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• Biosecurity in Taranaki
• Towards Predator-Free
• Rural

Predator control in rural Taranaki is vital to the success of Towards a Predator-Free Taranaki. High-tech traps will be used in rural areas. It forms a large chunk of the work to ultimately remove predators and prevent re-infestations across the region’s 700,000 hectares. Many landowners and occupiers are already trapping possums and doing an awesome job - dropping numbers to below a 10% residual catch rate (fewer than 10 possums per 100 traps). But we need to expand this work to restore

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• What New Plymouth rats like best

trapper in Urenui found a sweet-salty combination of Nutella and bacon was a real winner, while another in the city had success with a pineapple lump.” Mr Shanley cautioned trappers not to be discouraged by a sudden drop in catch numbers, after initially catching plenty. This drop-off was quite normal and it was important to keep trapping so the population was unable to re-establish. "It's really important that trappers keep going even when their catch rate drops or they stop catching anything. Trap

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• TRC Bulletin - November 2020

told. Details of the impact on Council budgets, charges and rates will be fully discussed and tested during public consultation on the Long-Term Plan early next year. Implementation of the requirements requires work in six areas – planning, consenting, compliance, science services, communications and tangata whenua engagement. And with Councils now required to ‘consider and recognise’ Te Mana o te Wai in freshwater management, there are also likely to be changes in decision-making processes and the

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• Towards Predator-Free
• Predator Free news
• One year into Towards Predator-Free Taranaki

urban, rural and conservation land. Taranaki Regional Council monitoring data shows intensive predator control may already be making a difference – rats and possums in urban New Plymouth are decreasing, while the trapping network in rural and urban areas is expanding rapidly, Mr MacLeod says. Monitoring, using rat footprint tracking and a possum bite-mark index, show catch rates have dropped; rats went from 33 per cent to 19 percent in the past year, while the urban New Plymouth possum index has

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• Wider use envisaged for 'Yarrow Stadium Plus'

District Council, as well as Sport Taranaki and the rugby union, have been fully consulted and he is confident they understand and support the TRC’s approach. The vision for the Stadium has been amended to emphasise its broad usability. The first aim in the new vision statement is: “The best regional stadium in New Zealand that regularly hosts local, regional, national and international sporting and entertainment events.” The project’s $50 million budget remains unchanged but Yarrow Stadium rates will

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• TRC Bulletin - February 2021

is ‘objectionable or offensive’ and thus in breach of Council’s Regional Air Quality Plan (RAQP). The Council deals with about 200 air-quality complaints and incidents annually. The analysis, part of a review of the RAQP, found that there is generally good compliance by those with resource consents allow air discharges, with a non-compliance rate of 2%, mostly involving odour. Three consented sites have accounted for more than half of recent incidents and complaints involving consent-holders.