Latest news from the Taranaki Regional Council
Talking Taranaki is Taranaki Regional Council's bimonthly newsletter.
In this issue
New Plymouth's growing army of urban trappers, and how you can join them; a woman's journey to a healthier lifestyle via Pukeiti, Tūpare and Hollard Gardens; and something new at the bus stop.
Chairman's chat
'If I can do it, anyone can do it'
Urban trapping in Taranaki.
David MacLeod
Kia ora tātou katoa, greetings to you all.
Who'd have thought New Plymouth would have so many keen urban trappers?
Since the launch a couple of months ago, around 500 people have already signed up for Taranaki Taku Tūranga - Our Place, Towards a Predator-Free Taranaki. Most of them are in New Plymouth, where our initial focus has been. And then last weekend, another 300 turned up for our open day at Oākura. A fantastic response!
We’re seeing people like Tricia Thompson, grandmother, midwife and keen gardener. She reckons that if she can trap predators, anyone can - and she says it's already making a difference. Check out the video to find out how.
For this project to work, we need trapping to become a normal household activity, like recycling. And I'm optimistic this can happen, after seeing hundreds of people turning out to our free New Plymouth workshops to learn more and to pick up their child-friendly and pet-friendly rat traps. More workshops are being scheduled and with the new term well under way, schools are also starting to get involved.
And the buzz is spreading.
We're working with the Oākura-Kaitake community on a Zero Possums trial as part of the wider predator-free project. Called Restore Kaitake, this is a multi-pronged effort covering 8600 hectares including Oākura, the Kaitake Range and down to the coast. It's exciting to think that as a result of this work, we could see the return of kākā, yellow-crowned kākāriki and kiwi to this area. Restore Kaitake builds on work already being carried out by the Council and the Taranaki Mounga Project, and will use the latest technology and techniques including a virtual barrier of 2400 remotely monitored traps. We need lots of community support to succeed, though!
Towards a Predator-Free Taranaki is a long-term commitment and will eventually roll out right across the region. We're confident that this groundswell of community support and activity combined with advances in predator-control technology and techniques, will allow us to restore our region's precious biodiversity.
My own household is involved. Is yours as well? Go to www.trc.govt.nz/pf-taranaki2050 to sign up.
- David MacLeod, Chairman
Improving lifestyles
Positive journey takes in gardens
Justine at Pukeiti
Pukeiti, Tūpare and Hollard Gardens have an enthusiastic new friend called Justine, a young New Plymouth mum whose blogs, videos and social media posts about her journey to a healthier lifestyle have won many fans in the region, with 5000 followers on her social media channels.
"We had the absolute best day at Pukeiti yesterday," she told her audience after a recent visit. "Couldn't get over how cool it was ... The Taranaki Regional Council have crafted a world-class facility on our back doorstep and I'm so happy to have rediscovered it." She's also visited Tūpare and Hollard Gardens and shared her experiences with her audience.
Check out the video for more of her impressions of Pukeiti, and you'll also see links to her Tūpare and Hollard Gardens videos. For more about her life journey, look for My Balance Project on Facebook(external link) and Instagram,(external link) or go to mybalanceproject.co.nz (external link)
And check out our calendar of free public events at the three gardens. Upcoming events include a two-day botanical art workshop at Pukeiti (costs $100 for materials and registration required) on 11 and 12 August and a free home gardening workshop on camellia selection and care at Hollard Gardens on 26 August. See www.trc.govt.nz/whats-on/ for more information about these and other events.
You can also follow each of the three gardens - Pukeiti,(external link) Tūpare(external link) and Hollard Gardens(external link) - on Facebook, and @TaranakiRG on Twitter.(external link)
Taking Taranaki forward
Better Connector on the way
Coming soon to a bus stop near you ...
The bus that criss-crosses Taranaki is about to get bigger, better and brighter.
A brand-new bus is about to enter service as the Hawera-New Plymouth Connector, making four return trips each weekday with extensions from and to Opunake on the first and final trips respectively.
As well as more seats (for 45 passengers, up from the current 41), the new vehicle has more locker space (for prams, pushchairs and even bikes), easier boarding, seats with extra leg room, air suspension at the rear for a smoother ride, electronic destination board and closed-circuit TV.
The Connector is operated by Pickering Motors Ltd under contract to the Taranaki Regional Council. The Council-administered public transport network also includes New Plymouth Citylink commuter and school bus services, and once-a-week Southlink services serving smaller communities in South Taranaki.
See www.taranakibus.info for timetables, fares and other details.
Around & about the region
Who deserves recognition?
Nominations close next week for this year’s Taranaki Regional Council Environmental Awards, which recognise efforts to protect and enhance the environment. The awards are made in five categories, and 265 have been presented since the programme started in 1993. "We cast the net wide," says the Council chairman, David MacLeod."No matter how big or small, those making an effort to make Taranaki a better place can be recognised in these awards."
AWARDS CATEGORIES, CRITERIA & NOMINATION FORM
Riding a wave
The Council's latest monitoring results show further improvements in freshwater ecological health, defying an assumption that a recent strong run of improvements must start flattening out. Trends are improving at 49 of the 57 monitored ring-plain sites at which changes can be determined – the most sites ever and surpassing record highs seen in the past two years. “Statistically, any environmental trend can be expected to flatten out and reach a new equilibrium after a period of change,” says the Council’s Director-Environment Quality, Gary Bedford. “We’re surprised but delighted that we’re not yet seeing this here. We’re still riding the wave, so to speak.”
REGION STILL RIDING WAVE OF WATER-QUALITY GAINS