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• Biosecurity & Biodiversity direct charges revenue - $394,309 under budget mainly due to lower
Towards Predator-Free Taranaki expenditure than planned as project funding revenues are not
recognised until the costs are incurred.
• Passenger transport - $261,009 under budget due to higher bus contract costs and new routes
planned for later in the financial year.
• Transport direct charges revenue - $260,510 under budget due to some fares being funded from the
time so it made sense for them to check traps while they are at it. She says staff have noticed an increase in birdlife in the park and surrounds and get great satisfaction from doing their bit. Powerco volunteers Towards Predator-Free Taranaki project manager Toby Shanley says businesses can help restore the region’s native biodiversity in a number of ways. “We have traps in public parks and walkways your team could take responsibility for. Buy a few $10 traps and set them around your premises,
area. Towards Predator-Free Taranaki Project Manager Toby Shanley says a range of tools to remove rats, possums and stoats – some of the biggest threats to kiwi and other native wildlife – have been used on rural, urban and conservation land in north Taranaki, as part of Towards Predator-Free Taranaki. Led by Taranaki Regional Council, the region-wide biodiversity project is working with Taranaki Mounga (ecological restoration project on Egmont National Park), community groups, iwi, district
New Plymouth volunteers are sought to help unite urban trappers and take predator control to the next level as part of Towards Predator-Free Taranaki. The region-wide biodiversity restoration project is looking for volunteers in urban New Plymouth to help expand the effort – the aim is to have one in five households trapping in their backyards. Project Manager Toby Shanley says volunteers are needed for two roles: community champions to advocate for and co-ordinate trapping efforts in suburbs;
rural trial, across 16,000 hectares between New Plymouth and Egmont National Park is part of Towards Predator-Free Taranaki, helping restore biodiversity by removing rats, possums and stoats from rural, urban and conservation land. Chris and Mike started contracting to Towards Predator-Free Taranaki in December 2018, diversifying from work in seismic drilling for Taranaki’s oil and gas industry. Less than a year into contract work, helping residents remove rats, possums and stoats to better care for
catches will likely reduce within the first one to two weeks, when rat numbers take a hit, but it’s important to keep your traps set so they can’t make a come-back and biodiversity continues to be protected.” He also reminded trappers to record their catches in the Trap NZ website or app, www.trap.nz helping monitor community predator control. New Plymouth city and surrounding areas in the district are the current focus of Towards Predator-Free Taranaki as it rolls around the region. The long-term
region’s biodiversity trust) have been amazing in our conservation efforts. It’s helping us create a walkway connecting special parts of native bush spread across properties in the area, helping realise the dreams and aspirations we have for the land."
management ............................................................... 5
Delivering on freshwater ............................................................................ 7
Addressing climate change ........................................................................ 9
Our approach to possum control .............................................................. 11
Protecting indigenous biodiversity ........................................................... 13
The future
predator control, analysing catches, checking traps on public land, making traps and selling traps to local residents as a fund-raiser. Many students are also using the biodiversity app iNaturalist; www.inaturalist.org/projects/towards-predator-free-taranaki-bioblitz-network helping monitor native wildlife and plants.
The first North Island robin to be seen at Pukeiti in 112 years was spotted after intensive predator control in the area. Robin returned to Pukeiti, after being released following
landscape-scale predator control on urban, rural and conservation land, Mr Shanley says. A collective effort by local residents, Taranaki Regional Council, Taranaki Mounga, an ecological restorative project on Egmont National Park, local iwi and schools is helping remove rats, possums and stoats to restore native biodiversity in the area, as part of Towards Predator-Free Taranaki. Mr Church hasn’t seen a possum on his property since September 2019, but understands they are skilled at staying out of sight. If